~ IN MEMORY ~
Lt. Col, DL Capt. William
‘Bill’ Joseph Rodway
July 13, 1951 ~
January 16, 2021
News has reached
our group that retired Delta pilot Lieutenant Colonel William Joseph Rodway,
age 69, has passed due to an apparent heart attack. Captain Rodway joined Delta
Air Lines 08-10-1979.
http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueon00/extreme.html “Bill is a former Naval Aviator who flew A-7
Light Attack jets off carriers before taking a cushy job with the New Mexico
Air National Guard "Tacos" flying F-16s (affectionately referred to
as "Lawn Darts"). Bill drives a Delta 737 around to pay the bills (and
fund his recently acquired aerobatic addiction). After wrapping up his military
career with the Guard, Bill caught the aerobatic bug and bought in on a share
of the S2-B. He claims his horizon will take him no further than perhaps the
intermediate level of competitive aerobatics, but don’t believe anything he
tells you when he’s trying to act humble – after all, he is a former Naval
Aviator.”
Obituary information
with photos and an online guestbook is available at the funeral home
website:
https://www.frenchfunerals.com/obituary/William-Rodway
Thank
you,
~
Carol for the PCN
Obituary : William
Joseph Rodway
Lieutenant Colonel
William (Bill) Joseph Rodway, a retired Delta Airlines Captain, retired New
Mexico Air National Guard/USAF and resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico took his
last solo flight to heaven on January 16, 2021.
He was born on
July 13, 1951 to the late William and Edythe Rodway in White Plains, New York.
He is survived by the love of his life of 23 years and "co-pilot,"
Lorena Zubia-Foust; her children, Matthew Foust, Heather Foust, April Gallagher
and son-in-law, Tom Gallagher; two granddaughters, Lorelai Gallagher, and
London Gallagher; two brothers, Robert Rodway and David Rodway; and niece,
Indira Rodway.
Bill graduated
from the University of Northern Colorado in 1973 with a degree in Science and
Psychology and his weekends were fulfilled with flying lessons. While in
college he saw a billboard that read "Fly for free, Join the Navy!"
and quickly pursued that dream. For those of you who knew Bill, you know that
the Navy had him at the word "free!" During his 8-year naval aviator
career, he remarkably made over 300-nighttime carrier landings in an A-7 light
attack jet. While stationed in Japan, his most memorable flights were off the
USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, which is now a museum in San Diego, CA.
After leaving the
Navy, Bill was hired by Delta Airlines as a commercial pilot in 1979. He flew
the Boeing 737 and advanced rapidly as an airman check pilot. Bill retired as a
Captain in 2005 and enjoyed his last years flying the Boeing 767. One of his
favorite places to fly into was Jackson Hole, WY. Simultaneously, while working
for Delta, Bill joined the New Mexico Air National Guard for the next 15 years
and flew with the "Tacos." He enjoyed the New Mexico blue skies and
speed from the cockpit of the F-16 FALCON fighter jet. As if retiring from the
USAF as a Lt. Colonel wasn't enough, he pushed his capabilities for a little
"extreme" adventure in aerobatic flying. We're talking about pilots
who like to be upside down, sideways and pulling G's while perfecting precise
routines in a 3-Dimensional "box" of airspace. Bill had the need for
speed! Bill's passion for flying was more than just a career and always quoted,
"Find a career you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your
life!"
Bill knew how to
have fun! As a member of the New Mexico Viper Club, driving at high speeds in
his 2004 yellow Dodge Viper, he knew how to set an adrenaline rush on the long
stretchy roads and winding mountains! There was always a good story to tell.
One of the best stories was when 15 exotic cars were pulled over by two law
enforcement officers in Montrose, CO, long story! Bill being a man of service
and having the most upright respect for law enforcement, volunteered as a
Bernalillo County Sheriff Reserve Deputy for 10 years. Within the first year,
he received the "Outstanding Cadet" award and was President of the
Reserves for a term during his service with BCSO.
Bill was an
excellent family man and provider, listener, and workout partner (he was a
member of Defined Fitness for years and won a couple of body building
competitions). He was adventurous in many sport arenas, courageous,
knowledgeable and most of all, lovable. He had the rare combination of someone
who loved life and had a firm understanding of what was important - the
simplicity of living life with those you love.
One of the best
qualities that Bill had was mentoring people and helping them achieve their
goals. He always made people feel as if they were the most important person in
the room. He was an animated storyteller and had memorable and funny stories to
share. Bill was always inclined to learn new things and mastered them quickly.
He was extremely accomplished, yet humble.
Bill had a
larger-than-life presence and personality. He loved spending quality time with
his granddaughters and he always looked forward to picking them up from one of
his 5-Star daycares. Their favorite places to go were the library and airport.
He also loved spending time with his 4 Shih Tzu's who adored him and listened
to his every command.
This past year
Bill and Lorena spent hours flying in their baby blue Cirrus SR22T aircraft
throughout the Southwest. A recent accomplishment was flying into the North
America's highest airport in Leadville, CO at 9,934 feet. Bill loved making
memorable moments for those who flew in his plane.
Bill was an
all-American man. Words cannot describe how much Bill will be missed by his
family and an abundant amount of loving friends! Even though his passing was
unexpected, he will be fondly remembered for his leadership, tenacity,
patience, and kind heart.
This coming March,
Bill was going to start his volunteer efforts for the Barkhouse organization
flying his Cirrus Vision Jet plane to escort dogs and finding good homes for
them. The family asks in lieu of flowers, you make a donation to the
"animal rescue freedom flight" in Bill's honor at
https://www.barkhouse.org/donate or you can send a check to: Barkhouse.Org.,
4670 Calle de Nubes, Las Cruces, NM 88012.
Bill's Celebration
of Life will be held privately. Please visit our online guestbook for William
at
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