~ IN MEMORY ~
USAF veteran, DL Capt. Herbert "Herb" Lee
Entrekin, Jr.
February 21, 1937 – July 29, 2021
From friends and family comes this news with the passing of
retired Delta pilot Captain Herb Entrekin, age 84. Captain Entrekin joined Delta Air Lines
05-03-1965 and retired with Delta in 1997, based 030/PDX at the time of his
retirement. He is survived by his wife
Gail, his daughter Janet, and his grand- and great grandchildren.
To view the obituary and share memories online please visit
the funeral home website at
https://www.asturner.com/obituaries/Herbert-Lee-Entrekin-Jr?obId=21880126#/obituaryInfo
Funeral services will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons
Funeral Home, Decatur, Georgia on August 3rd….interment will follow at Decatur
Cemetery.
For those who may wish to send a personal note, whitepages
lists the family’s residence address as
5701 Spalding Dr Unit 512, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092.
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary : ENTREKIN, Jr., Herbert Lee "Herb"
Herbert “Herb” Lee Entrekin, Jr., husband, father,
grandfather and great-grandfather, died after a brief illness on July 29, 2021
in Lawrenceville, GA. He was 84.
Herb was born in Dublin, GA on February 21, 1937 to the late
Herbert Lee Entrekin and Oleta Chancey Entrekin. At a young age, his family
moved to Decatur, GA. He was active in Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle
Scout. He graduated from Southwest DeKalb High School in 1955, where he played
baseball and football and was voted Best All-Around. His church home was
Alexander Memorial Presbyterian Church, where his faith journey began.
Herb attended Presbyterian College, where he received a
scholarship as a football trainer and served the team for four years. He was a
member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English
and graduated in 1959. Fifty years later, in 2009, he was awarded the Gold P
Award, Presbyterian College’s highest alumni award, in recognition of his
outstanding personal and professional achievements.
Following college graduation, Herb joined the United States
Air Force as a Cadet and served four years as a pilot, flying missions in
Europe, Asia and the Middle East. At the end of his service, his rank was 1st
Lieutenant Aircraft Commander of a C-130 combat air crew.
Herb met his beloved wife, Gail in 1962, and they married on
May 25, 1963 in Memphis, TN. They started their married life together in
Franklin, TN. Following an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1964, Herb
began his career as a pilot with Delta Air Lines in 1965. Herb and Gail settled
in Lithonia, GA and raised two children, Janet Entrekin Rhoades and the late
Herbert “Lee” Entrekin, III. Herb flew with Delta for over 32 years, flying
domestic and international routes. In 1997, he retired as an MD-11 Captain and
International Line Check Airman.
In retirement, he continued flying, this time in his own
Cessna 182. Combining his passion for flying with his desire to serve others,
he became an Angel Flight Soars pilot in 2002. He flew over 200 Angel Flight
missions, logging over 900 Angel Flight hours. In 2011, he was a proud
recipient of the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which recognizes pilots
who have exhibited aviation expertise for 50+ years of flying.
Anyone who knew Herb was considered part of the family.
Gatherings of family and friends were a frequent occurrence at their home on
Lake Burton. His faith in God remained strong throughout his life, and he felt
closest to Him at the lake. He was incredibly proud of his family and never
missed a performance of his children and grandchildren.
Herb is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Gail
Grilli Entrekin, daughter Janet Entrekin Rhoades (Bob), daughter-in-law Tara
Entrekin Prince (Jimmy), grandson Herbert “Hugh” Lee Entrekin, IV,
granddaughters Madelyn Elyse Rhoades, Sophia Lee Rhoades, Lauren Rhoades Pusey
(Dave) and Anna Rhoades Haase (Brendan). He is also survived by great-grandsons
Hudson James Haase, Jacob Nathanial Pusey and many cousins. He is predeceased by
his father Herbert Lee Entrekin, mother Oleta Chancey Entrekin and son Herbert
“Lee” Entrekin, III.
Funeral services will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons
Funeral Home in Decatur, GA on August 3. Visitation is from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Service is at 2:00 p.m. followed by interment at Decatur Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers, memorial
contributions may be made to any of Herb’s favorite organizations, including
Place of Hope NGA, Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Northeast Georgia Homeless
Veterans Shelter.
On Jul 29, 2021, at 6:47 AM, Janet Rhoades <janetrhoades1@gmail.com
> wrote:
Dear friends and family,
It’s with a heavy heart, I’m writing to let you know that my dad, Herb
Entrekin, passed away this morning. It is a surprise to me as much as it must
be to you.
Through the years, Dad fought through some of life’s most difficult
challenges…from Lee’s death, to cancer, to heart surgery. He never lost his
faith in God, no matter what he faced. He was extremely devoted to Mom and said
on many occasions that it was an honor to be her full-time caregiver as she
fights cognitive impairment. He loved his family and friends and was quick to
help out anyone in need.
After a seemingly minor fall a few weeks ago, Dad developed a brain bleed that
snuck up on us. Once we realized what was going on, he underwent surgery
on Wednesday to relieve the pressure and stop the bleed. He fought through the
surgery with his fearless grit, but ultimately his heart couldn’t take the
added stress after a significant head surgery. He died peacefully at 4:11
a.m. Thursday morning.
Mom and Mika will be taken care of with love and affection, as Dad always gave
to them.
I honestly am not ready for this day but it is sadly here. I don’t know the
plans yet, but will communicate as soon as I do.
Your prayers and love are much appreciated. I know he’s soaring high with the
angels today!!!
Sincerely,
Janet Entrekin Rhoades
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