Gone But Not Forgotten

Honoring fallen comrades is an important part of the AOG mission and we ask to be notified as soon as possible of the death of any graduate, Air Training Officer or cadet so that we can take appropriate actions. The AOG has learned of the following deaths within the past 90 days.

For best results, try searching by Last Name (e.g. Smith), Class Year (e.g. 1959), or Cadet Squadron (e.g. CS-01). More complex searches may not return desired results.

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Lt Col (Ret) Robert Penny , Jr. - Class of 1970 , CS-18

Deceased on December 8, 2022 - Informed on December 29, 2022

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. No further information is available.

Lt Col (Ret) Peter Penta , Jr. - Class of 1973 , CS-16

Deceased on March 20, 2022 - Informed on April 6, 2022

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Funeral services will be held on 12 April 2022 at 1100 hours at Torbert Funeral Chapel South, 1145 E. Lebanon Road, Dover, DE 19901. Visitation will be preceding the service at 1000 hours. Interment will be at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE 19701 For those unable to attend the funeral service there will be a livestream on www.torbertfuneral.com, it can be found under the "Upcoming Livestreams" tab and viewed by clicking on their name or by following this link. https://www.torbertfuneral.com/upcoming-livestreams/peter-penta-jr-april-12-2022 In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the Alzheimer's Association and the Air Mobility Command Museum Foundation.

Col (Ret) John Petty - Class of 1970 , CS-12

Deceased on July 24, 2017 - Informed on July 26, 2017

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A service and burial will be held on 29 Jul 2017 at 1500 hours at the Springfield Friends Meeting; 555 E Springfield Rd; High Point, NC 27263; (336) 889-4911; www.springfieldfriends.org. A memorial service will be held on 5 Aug 2017 at the Truro Anglican Church; 10520 Main St; Fairfax, VA 22030. His family has suggested that memorial donations be made to the Kairos Prison Ministry; 100 DeBary Plantation Rd; DeBary, FL 32713; (407) 629-4948; www.kairosprisonministry.org. Please designate your donation to the Ministry in the state of Virginia.

Col (Ret) Thomas Pratt - Class of 1970 , CS-40

Deceased on February 5, 2014 - Informed on February 11, 2014

Update: Due to inclement weather in North Carolina, the mass that was originally scheduled to be held there, had to be cancelled. Therefore, the family has scheduled a funeral mass to be held at the Cadet Catholic Chapel on Tuesday, 18 Feb 14, 1300 hours, followed by interment in the USAFA Cemetery. Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Visitation will be on 13Feb 2014 from 1800 to 2000 hrs. at Hall - Wynn Funeral Home: 1113 W. Main St.; Durham, NC 27701 (919) 688-6387. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 1100 on 14 Feb 2014 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church: 920 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill, NC 27515. Burial with full military honors will be held on 18 Feb 2014 at 1300 hrs at the USAFA Cemetery with a reception immediately following at DooLittle Hall (AOG): 3116 Academy Drive.. USAFA, CO 80840-4475 The family has suggested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the following charities: Class of 70 Gift Fund: USAFA Endowment, 3116 Academy Dr., USAFA, CO 80840-4475 Hock Family Pavilion Hospice at Duke Hospice: 4023 N. Roxboro Rd., Durham, NC 27704

Mr. Vincent Puglisi - Class of 1970 , CS-03

Deceased on July 23, 2015 - Informed on July 24, 2015

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A Celebration of Life will be held on 1 Aug 2015 from 1400-1600 hours at his home. Please contact the Association of Graduates for this information.

Mr. John Rankin - Class of 1970 , CS-20

Deceased on March 5, 2020 - Informed on March 13, 2020

UPDATE: A funeral service for Colonel Rankin will be held on 8 Sep 2021 at 1400 hours at the USAFA Cemetery. The original notice is below. Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A memorial service will be held on 14 Mar 2020 at 1100 hours at St. Alban's Anglican Chruch; 3348 W State Rd 426; Oviedo, FL 32765; (407) 657-2376. His family has suggested that memorial donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Georgia Chapter; 57 Executive Park S, Suite 380; Atlanta, GA 30329; (800)344-4823; www.fightcf.cff.org

Mr. Steven Riggs - Class of 1970 , CS-18

Deceased on October 11, 2015 - Informed on October 20, 2015

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A Celebration of Life was held on 14 Oct 2015 in Atlantic, IA. His family has suggested that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the following charities: The National Kidney Foundation; 1228 8th St, Suite 103; West Des Moines, IA 50265 (505) 440-0402 www.kidney.org The American Diabetes Association; PO Box 11454; Alexandria, VA 22312 (800) 342-2383 www.diabetes.org

Lt Col (Ret) Larry Ritchard - Class of 1970 , CS-30

Deceased on August 1, 2018 - Informed on August 8, 2018

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Colonel Ritchard's obituary may be viewed at www.reislegacycenter.com. Private burial will be in Dayton National Cemetery. The family has suggested that memorial donations be made to The Cleveland Clinic; PO Box 931517; Cleveland, OH 44193-1655; (800) 223-2273 ext. 41245; www.clevelandclinic.org

Mr. Richard Ritter - Class of 1970 , CS-06

Deceased on June 25, 2020 - Informed on July 13, 2020

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Funeral services are pending.

Lt Col (Ret) Stephen Roberts - Class of 1970 , CS-34

Deceased on May 9, 2022 - Informed on May 11, 2022

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. His funeral service took place on 25 May 2022 in Redlands, CA. His obituary can be found at https://www.cortnerchapel.com/obituaries/Stephen-Roberts-8/#!/Obituary His family has suggested that memorial donations be made to the following charities: MOAA Scholarship Fund, PO Box 1824, Merrifield, VA 22116-9917, online donations https://www.moaa.org/content/forms/donate-now/ Kiwanis Foundation, PO Box 6457 Dept #236, Indianapolis, IN 46206, (800) 549-2647 ext. 236, donate online at https://www.kiwanis.org/childrens-fund/give/make-a-gift-by-mail-telephone-or-wire-transfer

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Next of Kin

For Next of Kin support resources please visit: https://www.usafanextofkin.org/

Frequently Asked Questions

Gone But Not Forgotten Annual Publication

The Air Force Academy Association and Foundation are introducing a new benefit to better memorialize USAFA graduates and support their families. We are launching a new annual memorial publication in 2025.

A: As the Academy graduate population ages, Checkpoints is increasingly insufficient in accommodating the increasing number of obituaries. This has necessitated the creation of a new publication as part of our commitment to remembering all fallen graduates, Air Training Officers and cadets.
A: The purpose of the publication is to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the Long Blue Line through the personal stories of our graduates. The publication is in the spirit of our mission to support the Academy, serve graduates and preserve the heritage of the institution.
A: Gone But Not Forgotten will be part of the final name, which is not yet finalized.
A: No, but the Association will list basic information on deaths in each issue of Checkpoints.
A: No. If/when memorial articles are sent to the AOG, the tribute is posted to this webpage.
A: A complimentary copy will be mailed to a loved one of the deceased. It is not yet determined if the printed publication will be available at a nominal cost or at no cost to AOG members.
A: There will be a one-year transition period. Memorial articles sent in to run in Checkpoints in 2024 will also appear in the inaugural memorial publication. The deadline for Gone But Not Forgotten submissions in the December 2024 issue of Checkpoints is mid-October, but any memorial articles about deaths for the remainder of 2024 received by mid-January 2025 will appear in the inaugural 2025 stand-alone publication. Then going forward, the full years’ worth of tributes would be published in the next year’s volume.
A: The first memorial publication will likely be printed in February or March of 2025.
A: We currently have a 400-word maximum for each memorial tribute and will continue with that limit for the first stand-alone publication. We’re doing this because we have already received submissions at that length and don’t plan to ask for longer versions for the 2025 edition.
A: We will transition to roughly 450- or 900-word options for memorial tributes. Whoever writes and submits the memorial article will have the option to write to either word limit.
A: A recent favorite photo of the deceased, when possible. The photo (head and shoulders, color preferred) should be emailed as a .jpg and sent as a high-resolution image.
A: Please email Next-of-Kin Support Specialist Terri Davis at deceasednotifications@usafa.org.
A: That is coming soon.
A: Please reach out to David Bitton, assistant director of strategic communications and publications, at 719-247-8745 or use our Contact Form.

Gone But Not Forgotten