~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL Capt. Robert "Tracy"
Cheatham III
January 7, 1952 — August 3, 2025
Robert “Tracy” Cheatham III passed away at home on
August 3, 2025. He was 73 years old. He adopted his life motto from the Air
Force Academy: “Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do.”
Tracy joined Delta Air Lines 08-15-1980 and was
SLC based. He is survived by his wife
Cathy, and by his daughters and his stepsons and their families. Services for Tracy will be held August 9th
in Crawford, Colorado….please see online obituary for details.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
PCN memorial site
https://www.taylorfuneralservice.com/obituaries/robert-tracy-cheatham
Robert “Tracy” Cheatham III passed away at home on
August 3, 2025. He was 73 years old. He adopted his life motto from the Air
Force Academy: “Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do.”
His Celebration of Life service will be held on
Saturday August 9th, 2025 at the Crawford Community Church at 1:00
PM. Please come and share your memories and thoughts about Tracy. His burial
will be at the Air Force Academy Cemetery on Monday, August 11 at 1:30 PM. If you wish to attend that please reach out to
Cathy.
Tracy was born on January 7th, 1952 in
Hollywood, California to Jane Anderson Cheatham and Robert Tracy Cheatham
Junior. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in Pasadena and continued his
education at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated
in 1974 with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. He served our country in
the United States Air Force for six years as a T-38 instructor pilot until July
of 1980, finishing his service with a rank of Captain. He was hired by Delta
Airlines in 1980 where he worked until 2005, completing his career there as a
international Captain flying the Boeing 767. On the Western Slope he worked as
a corporate and private pilot until he retired in 2022.
He married Cathy Hansen on December 28th,
1997 and they enjoyed 28 happy years together.
In the fall of 2005, Tracy and Cathy moved from
Utah to Crawford, Colorado where they have made their home for the last 20
years.
Tracy served on the Crawford Mesa Water Board for
16 years and was a staple of the Crawford community. Tracy relied on God’s
guidance in his life. Though flying was his passion, he always made faith and
family his priority. He loved being a father to his children, and his kind and
gentle nature combined with his intelligence and accomplishments were an
example to all who knew him.
Growing up in a musical family, he played the
piano and bassoon in youth bands. He competed in swimming and diving, played
tennis, and loved travel and the outdoors. He became a master tinkerer,
restoring watches, player pianos, and cars as a youth. As an adult, he built
houses in Georgia, Utah, and Colorado. He continued to enjoy hiking, biking,
snow skiing, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. His love
for America grew during his military service, and he was grateful for all the
opportunities God and Country afforded him. One could often find him studying
the history of our great country and its many heroes. Tracy was a shining
example of service, humility and strength, and he will be truly missed.
He is
survived by his wife Cathy Cheatham, his daughters Laura Regal, Elizabeth
Foster and Allison Cheatham, his stepsons Karl Pia and Coleman Chase, 13
grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, and siblings Scot Cheatham, David
Cheatham, and Dana Scoby.
As a lifelong aviator with over 50 years as a
pilot, Tracy wanted to leave a legacy of flying by supporting young aspiring
pilots in achieving their educational goals. To fulfill that dream, he founded
Life Wings 501c(3). In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to:
Life Wings 501c(3), 38700 French Field Way, Crawford CO 81415.
Hope West Delta Colorado, 195
Stafford Ln, Delta CO 81416.
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