Arnold R. Pleasant
1938 ~ 2021
Captain Arnie Pleasant, age 83, with a heart full of love, a life full of precious memories and a body ready for mercy after a strongly fought battle with Corticobasal Degeneration, passed away December 01, 2021. Arnie left a legacy of kindness, selflessness, humble sincerity, and true love for his family, fellow aviators, and many friends. He was truly a man who was a friend to all.
Arnie was born to Clyde and Elsie Pleasant in Cowiche, WA June 12, 1938. He was the oldest of three siblings. Cowiche is a small unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Maturing in this agricultural region Arnie gained a deep-seated love of family, friends and sports. He was a natural athlete and excelled in basketball, baseball and football. Arnie attended Washington State University (WSU) on a basketball scholarship playing both basketball and baseball for his beloved Cougar team. Arnie still holds the WSU Cougar baseball record for single season RBI in the Wood Bat Era (1892-1973).
Read more: Arnold R. Pleasant
Delwyn ‘Mike’ Roark
1941 ~ 2021
Captain Mike Roark, age 80, died on October 31, 2021 after a long battle with dementia. Mike was born on Feb. 24, 1941 and was raised near Hoopeston, IL.
As a young man in high school, Mike was known to be an excellent student and to have earned the Eagle Scout rank and Order of the Arrow member. His college studies were at Eastern Illinois University at Charleston, IL where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics. Having completed a challenging college program, Mike was ready to take on the USN Aviation Officer Candidate Program (AOC) at NAS Pensacola. After commissioning Mike began pilot training with at NAS Pensacola (class 5-64). The bulk of Mike’s flight training was at Saufley Field.
Read more: Delwyn 'Mike' Roark
Richard Madson Brown
1922 ~ 2021
Captain Richard ‘Dick’ Brown age 99, took his final flight - home to heaven September 19, 2021. Dick was born in Minneapolis on January 6, 1922. His family moved to Fargo, N.D. when he was of early age. He attended school in Fargo and graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1939.
Two years later, on April 07, 1941, Dick was hired by Northwest Airlines as a Ticket Agent – Field Traffic. Soon thereafter World War II and ‘the inevitable draft’ was looming heavy in Dick’s life. After extensive testing and evaluation, he qualified for Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet pilot program. Dick performed well and earned his silver pilot wings and a commission as a 2nd Lt. His next military assignment involved extensive training in the Douglas B-26 twin engine attack bomber. In early 1944 Dick was shipped overseas to England from which he flew sixty-six combat missions over Europe as a B-26 aircraft commander. One of those missions was flown over France on D-Day in support of the Normandy Landings. He separated from the Army Air Force in June of 1945.
Read more: Richard M. Brown
Thomas 'Tommy' Tinker
1933 ~ 2021 
Tommy Tinker, age 88, of Kapaáu, Hawaii, passed away August 22, 2021, at Kona Community Hospital. He was born in Van Nuys, California and grew up in Edna, Texas, where he became a local football star. At 23, he attended Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida and served 21 years in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves, retiring at the rank of Lt. Colonel. Tommy flew commercially for Pacific Airlines, then Republic, and later Northwest until retirement in 1993. In 2018, he published Laddies in Waiting, a collection of remarkable stories from his 37-year flying career. Tommy Tinker was a RNPA member.
Tommy and his wife Cindy have lived on the Big Island for 33 years. He was an avid diver, sailor, and skier. His friends will remember many Sunday afternoons sailing out of Kawaihae Harbor on his beloved sailboat, Kitta. As an active member of the North Kohala community, Tommy served as President of the Merchants Association, also President of the Kohala Hospital Charitable Foundation Board, which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a new emergency room facility.
There is no service planned due to Covid-19. His ashes will be scattered in the ocean later. If you wish to donate in Tommy's name, his favorite charity was St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tommy is survived by his wife, Cynthia G. Smith, a son Heung-Gi (Laura) Tinker of Holmes, NY, three daughters, Kelly (Jim) Gronwald of Prescott Valley, AZ, Dana (Bill) Greenroad of San Jose, CA, and Rebecca (Greg) Coburn of Martinez, CA, twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
(Tinker family)
Michael ‘Mick’ E. Colgrove
1940 ~ 2021
Captain Michael “Mick” Edward Colgrove, age 81, of Osage, MN passed away Monday, August 30, 2021 at his home surrounded by family.
Michael was born January 28, 1940 in Park Rapids, MN to Theodore and Mary (Lund) Colgrove. He grew up in Ponsford, MN where his parents operated a general store in addition to dabbling into logging. The family moved 13 miles southeast to Osage when Mick was 14, setting the scene for him to attend Park Rapids High School, graduating with the Class of 1958. Prior to the age 21 years, Mike lived in various places including Idaho, but ended up in the grocery business with his parents in Remer, MN. This is where he met his first wife Annmarie ‘Ann’ Miller. It was Ann who introduced Mick to aviation.
Mick caught the aviation bug and started acquiring FAA pilot’s licenses and ratings. With these new licenses he started building flight time working as a part-time flight instructor. With his part time employment as a flight instructor, Mick worked hard and acquired a degree from Bemidji State University. At Bemidji State he enrolled in the US Army R.O.T.C. program. After graduation Mike matriculated to the Minnesota Army National Guard as a Second Lieutenant.
Read more: Michael 'Mick' Colgrove
Hugh Thomas Nunn
1934~ 2021 
Captain Tom Nunn, age 86, passed away on June 27, 2021 at St Francis Hospital in Shakopee, MN following a stroke. Tom was born on October 26, 1934 to S. Virgil and Myrtie (Ferguson) Nunn in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tom started fulfilling his interest in aviation at Harvey Young Airport located southeast of Tulsa. In these years he acquired his FAA ratings and built flying time in a variety of tail dragger trainers and early nose wheel Cessna aircraft.
In 1958 Tom, his wife Janice and their son Thomas moved to Minnesota to begin a 32-year career with Northwest Airlines. Tom officially joined Northwest Airlines 05-23-1958. It is believed he flew the DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed Electra, Boeing 720/320, 757, the McDonald Douglas DC-10, and the Boeing 747 Classic. Tom talents found root in the NWA Flight Training Department. He was popular as a ground school and aircraft instructor. In time, as the airline expanded, Tom would become the Director of Flight Training. During his tenure Tom launched many innovative training concepts, including the Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) using scenarios built around industry incidents and accidents. Many perceived the NWA LOFT scenarios to be a realistic innovation in ‘real world’ flight training.
Read more: H. Tom Nunn