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
Frederick H. Weber
1940 ~ 2021
Captain Frederick Howard Weber, age 81, was born April 10, 1940, in New York City. The son of Fritz and Elizabeth Weber, Fred was raised in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate NY. Fred was an only child. His first memory of his father came after the end of WWII when father returned from Navy service in the Pacific.
Fred graduated from Middleburg High School in Upstate NY. After high school he enlisted in the US Air Force and served as an electronics technician in the Atlas F Missile program. When the Atlas F missile was retired from the SAC inventory Fred was retrained as a B-52 Aerial Defensive Gunner. He was assigned to a SAC B-52 squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsborough NC. During his off-duty time Fred learned how to fly in the Base Aero Club at Seymour Johnson AFB. After obtaining several pilot ratings through the Aero Club, Fred separated from the active Air Force and returned to Upstate NY. His first pilot job was with Richmore Aviation in Hudson, NY flying mostly corporate aircraft. After building flight time and experience with Richmore Aviation, Fred applied for pilot employment with Northwest Airlines. He began his airline career on March 24, 1969.
Read more: Frederick H. Weber