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) Victor Thomas - Class of 1960, CS-09

Deceased on April 19, 2021 - Informed on April 28, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A memorial service will be held on 1 May 2021 at 1000 hours at the Faith Christian Church; 1100 Buchanan Blvd; Boulder City, NV 89005. His obituary can be found at https://www.bouldercityfamilymortuary.com/obituary/Victor-Thomas. His family has suggested that memorial donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Faith Christian Church Music Department at the address above or online at https://www.myegiving.com/App/Form/d2a6afd5-30cf-45b0-8bfe-faa5a83f4d46. The Church phone number is (702) 293-2454.

Col (Ret) Edward Tooley - Class of 1966, CS-05

Deceased on April 28, 2020 - Informed on April 28, 2020

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. His family has suggested that memorial donations be made in lieu of flowers to Birthright of Charleston, P.O. Box 30191, Charleston, SC 29417 or online at www.birthrightofcharleston.org. A mass of Christian Burial will be held on 5 Aug 2021 at 1100 hours at St Benedict's Catholic Church; 950 Darrell Creek Trail; Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466. A second service will be held on 16 Sep 2021at 1300 hours at the USAFA Community Center Chapel followed by interment in the USAFA Cemetery.

Lt Col (Ret) Andrew Travnicek - Class of 1993, CS-11

Deceased on August 20, 2021 - Informed on August 24, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Visitation will be held on 29 Aug 2021 from 1400 - 1600 hours at Remick &Gendron Funeral Home; 811 Lafayette Rd; Hampton, NH 03842; (603) 926-6500; www.remickgendron.com. A funeral service will be held on 30 Aug 2021 at 1400 hours at Bethany Church; 500 Breakfast Hill Rd; Greenland, NH 03840.

Mr. William Van Amerongen - Class of 1968, CS-27

Deceased on March 26, 2021 - Informed on March 31, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. The family has requested that this be a private service for only family members. Services are pending for Jun or Jul of 2021, no official date has been set by the family.

Mr. William Vinnedge - Class of 1973, CS-26

Deceased on May 23, 2021 - Informed on June 4, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A funeral service will be held on 11 Jun 2021, at 1000 hours, at the USAFA Cemetery. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved to the Memorial Pavilion.

Mr. Robert Weight - Class of 1962, CS-02

Deceased on September 12, 2021 - Informed on January 24, 2022

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Funeral services were held on 8 OCT 2021 at The Eisenhower Chapel at Lowry in Denver, Colorado. UPDATE: His family has suggested memorial donations be made to Mile High 360. Online donations can be made at https://www.milehigh360.org/donate. No further information is available.

Mr. John Whitt - Class of 1978, CS-28

Deceased on September 16, 2021 - Informed on September 27, 2021

A funeral service will be held on 30 Sep 2021 at 1400 hours at the USAFA Cemetery. No further information is available.

Dr. Richard Wolniewicz - Class of 1964, CS-08

Deceased on December 21, 2020 - Informed on December 29, 2020

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A memorial service will be held on 11 Jan 2021 at 1000 hours at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church; 3791 Pike Rd; Longmont, CO 80503. Due to limited attendance please rsvp to his daughter, Susie Nothnagel at brecksusie@yahoo.com. His obituary can be found at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/longmont-co/richard-wolniewicz-9962870

Mr. Carrick Yaws - Class of 2000, CS-31

Deceased on April 12, 2021 - Informed on April 19, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A funeral service will be held on 24 Apr 2021 at 1500 hours at the Mount Zion Baptist Church;18 County Road 161; Brundidge, AL 36010. Visitation will begin at 1430 hours immediately preceding the service. His family has suggested that memorial donations be made in his memory to an adoption fund for family friends Jeffrey and Estella Smith at Lifesong for Orphans. Copy and paste this address to your browser: https://give.lifesong.org/lifesong/09489-ff?fbclid=lwAR3YaVmOE4YO4YI4BAO_9u_bks215clrVyE4cj_x_RuW5vnuWNMOTj7HtEo His obituary can be found at www.fuquabankston.com

Maj (Ret) Alan Zaiser - Class of 1964, CS-12

Deceased on July 21, 2021 - Informed on August 23, 2021

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A Memorial service with military honors will be held on 27 Aug 2021at 1100 hours at Royal Palm Cemetery South; 101 55th St S; St Petersburg, FL 33707. His obituary can be found at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tallahassee/name/alan-zaiser-obituary?n=alan-zaiser&pid=199875521&fhid=5590.

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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 with 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