Category Archives: Fallen Shipmates

Posted 10 Nov 2004

I just wandered onto your site. I would like to report the death of my former husband, John Stephen Ladd. He served in VP-4 from 1961-1964 in Naha and Hawaii. He passed away due to heart complications on Feb. 4, 2004.

I would appreciate having this information added to your site.

Thank you,

Linda Ladd

Hi Bob,
I was reading the last issue of the Airline Pilot magazine. It listed all the pilots who passed away this year. I found that Capt Quentin “Butch” Underkofler,VP-4 from 1971-1974, died in Feb 2001.

So I did some checking and received the following info from Hawaiian Airlines pilot union.

Captain QUENTIN “Butch” UNDERKOFLER, 56, of Aiea, HI, formerly of Clear Lake, Iowa, died Feb. 8, 2001. He is survived by wife, Melinda; daughters, Amy and Abby; mother, Jan; brother, Mark; sisters, Mari Taake and Susan.

Memorial services were held at Aiea United Methodist Church and Sacred Heart Church, Honolulu. Donations may be made to “Quentin Underkofler Scholarship Fund.”

A Personal Note…

Butch was my PPC in 73/74 when I was Crew 2 Tacco. He had previously served a tour in Vietnam flying combat missions in HAL-4. He was an exceptional “stick”, a quiet but effective leader, a great PPC/Mission Commander, and a close friend. It was unique that Butch and I had served tours in Vietnam, we had been stationed at and visited several of the same locations.

Melinda (Mel), his wife, told me that Butch’s ashes were scattered at his two favorite places on Oahu and that a plaque commerating his Naval service is in place at Punchbowl National Cemetary. She plans to teach and stay on Oahu for one more year and then move back to the “mainland” to be closer to her daughters, Amy and Abby. Her address is:

Melinda Underkofler 99-965 Hoio St Aiea HI 96701 808-488-4901

With a saddened heart, I wish my buddy Butch goodby… Our memories together will forever brighten my day….

Bob Zafran

posted 02/15/02

Steve,

I just learned that Charles (Chuck) Gilpin passed away 22 November last and
was buried in Arlington. His wife Betty said that he died from colon cancer that
had metastized in his lungs and liver. He was, however, active to the last and
died in his sleep. Chuck was a highly regarded second tour plane commander
serving in VP-4 from 1959-61. I joined the squadron only a month or so after
Chuck departed but I felt as though I knew him from all the positive stories
related to me.

Please pass this information along to all our shipmates. If anyone would like
to write Betty, her address is P. O. Box 1432, Orange Park, FL 32067.

Regards,

Chuck Doughdrill

08/07/01

From Jim Vannice:

Sorry to inform you that Jim Clampet left this earthly abode at 1830 4,
August, 2001. At present his daughters Dawn and Tina are at the family home
closing things out. They can be reached by e-mail at harvgo@whidbey.net.

08/28/01

From Robert Zafran

Mike Turkington, VP-4, 63-65, sent me this sad news about his son, Scott,
which some of you that were in the squadron then knew as “Scooter”

He was Mike’s only son, born in Bethesda. Became a Ventura County Sheriff for
eight years, a competitive surfer. Married another Deputy, they moved to Utah to
be near her mother. Since he couldn’t surf began mountain bicycle racer, fell
during a race and broke is back. After many operations on his back he ended up
with metal straps, nuts bolts and screws. He was told that he would never be out
of pain. They sent all his records and other Dr. reports to the Mayo clinic, but
they couldn’t help him either. About three weeks ago the operated on his
shoulder, was supposed to be a quick orthoscopic procedure that ended up being a
full intrusion. Found out that he was going to have to have another back
operation that would leave him in a wheel chair. Pain was the real problem, the
doctors used every available pain medication, and nothing worked any more. He
took his own life. Leaving behind a wife two daughters (from a previous
marriage) and one son as well as four sisters. The only thing I can say is he is
finally out of pain. There was a police honor guard from the City of Provo where
he worked as a policeman. A very moving ceremony. Scott was 41 years old.

Mike and Gerry can be reached at <turkpaso@aol.com> 1320 Crown Way Paso
Robles, CA 93446 (805) 227-4510

…A personal note…. Mike has been acting as the VP-4 Association chaplain
for some 8 months. The men and women veterans of VP-4 send our most heartfelt
sympathies for Mike and Gerry’s loss.

Bob Zafran

01/10/01 Bob Herman and Chuck Gilpin report this very sad news today:

Capt. Howard Beesley, 1961-1963, passed away peacefully, in his sleep this
morning after his long struggle with a heart problem.

The funeral service is set for Friday,9 January. Service at 1130, NAS
Pensacola All Faith Chapel and internment at Barrackas 1230. More info to
follow.

Shirley Beesley’s address is:

11735 Chanticleer Dr Pensacola, FL 32507-9171 850-492-1861
A sad loss for us all.. Bob Zafran

08/04/01

it saddens me to report that Edward F Salter ATC USN (Ret) VP-4
1959-1962
passed away due to congestive heart failure on July 2, 2001.
He is survived by his wife Mrs. Doris E Salter
520 Wright St
Inverness, FL
34452-5973
(352) 341-5825

10/19/00 Lawrence “Bud” Lester ATCM, USN (Ret) passed away yesterday morning,
after a several year battle with Lymphoma.

Bud was in VP4 from 57 to 60.

Lew Skavlan

10/00 Mrs. Judith Whitt writes: “Thank you for remembering my husband, Glenn H Whitt VP-4 1962-1965, on the mailing list for the next reunion. Unfortunately, I lost my husband from the result of an automobile accident Oct 1999. I’m so thankful he was able to be at the last reunion in Reno, he had a great time.

Wishing the best to you and yours,

Judith Whitt
Bakersfield, CA

Mrs. Lesley Robbins writes of her late husband “Paul H Robbins passed away 11/99. He especially enjoyed his VP-4 tour in Okinawa and Hawaii 1962-1964”

9/00 Mrs. Karen Costle writes: “we received your postcard, but Robert (VP4 1947-1951) was very ill when it came and subsequently passed away on Sunday Sept. 17, 2000. I think if he had been well enough he may have wanted to attend the reunion, but that isn’t to be. He was 80 years old and died peacefully at home with me.”

Posted 24 Sep 2007

Leonard Six

VP-4 Flight Engineer 1975-76

Leonard Charles “Charlie” “Navy Charlie” Six, 63, died Nov. 20, 2005, at his home in Quakertown, Pa. He is survived by his loving wife of 20 years, Cora (Hawthorne) Six.
He retired in 1988 after 29 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, which included three tours of duty in Vietnam. Upon retiring, he was employed at Carson Helicopter Inc. in Perkasie, Pa., for 10 years.

An avid Harley–Davidson rider, Charlie participated several times in the annual Lacona, N.H., run. He rode from Souderton, Pa., to San Diego, Calif., and back in 2002. On that trip, he rode 1,000 miles in one day across Texas. That was Charlie’s second cross–country trip by motorcycle. He was buried in with military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

Dorothy Sullivan

Widow of VP-4 Veteran 1958-1962

Thomas F. Sullivan AECM (USN Ret)

Richard Sherwood Buckingham, 73, (VP-4 54-57) died Tuesday, 11 April 2006, at Hospice House of Savannah. He was the husband of Marty for 50 years. Mr. Buckingham was born in Bridgeport, Conn., raised in Southport, Conn., and graduated from the Berkshire School in 1950 and Middlebury College in 1958. He served as an aviator with the Navy in the Far East from 1953 to 1957.
He had a 34-year career in sales and sales management with Continental Can Co. and as vice president of Cadbury Schweppes. He and his family lived in St. Louis and Wilton, Conn., before retiring to Savannah in 1995. They summered in Yarmouthport. Mr. Buckingham loved golf, genealogy, painting watercolors, traveling and woodworking. He was a member of the Golden K of Skidaway and the Landings Club.
Besides his wife, survivors include a daughter, Linda Thomson of Wilton, Conn.; a son, Steve Buckingham of Oconomowoc, Wis.; a sister, Susan McGarvey; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Skidaway Island United Methodist Church, where he was a member.
Memorial donations may be made to Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, 1659 Branham Lane, Suite F227, San Jose, CA 95118.
Published in Savannah Morning News from April 13 to April 14, 2006

Mrs. Lesley Robbins writes of her late husband “Paul H Robbins passed away 11/99. He especially enjoyed his VP-4 tour in Okinawa and Hawaii 1962-1964”.

originally posted 07/2009

Joe Blum -4/21/1935 – 6/3/2009 Born in Saxon, SC to Florence & James Blum. Joe earned the rank of Eagle Scout, with Silver Palms. He joined the US Navy in 1953, and had a 20 year career in naval aviation which would take him all over the Pacific. He later worked at Ford Aerospace and the Kennedy Space Center in spacecraft electrical engineering. Joe’s wife Dorothy preceded him in death just a few months ago. He leaves behind two children, John Blum (Diane) of San Jose, CA, and Nancy Wilson (Neil) of Lafayette, CA; three step-children, Stephanie Zimmerman (Dean) of Titusville, FL, Wendy Taylor (Bobby) of Duncan, SC, and Dwane Church (Kim) of Moore, SC; 15 grandchildren; and a sister, Barbara Medlock of SC.

While searching for VP-4 vets to notify about our upcoming reunion, I ran across this sad news. I have no contact info for the family.

Alton L. LISHNESS ATCS USN (Ret) VP-4 1950 – 1954

NORTH ANSON, ME — Alton L. Lishness, Navy (retired), 77, died Monday, June 9, 2008, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

He was born on Jan. 21, 1931, in Moscow, the son of Thomas and Olive (Churchill) Lishness.

He graduated from Central High School in North New Portland with the class of 1949. After high school, Alton joined the Navy. He served in Patrol Squadron Four (VP-4) circa 1950-1954 flying as a radioman and radar operator on P2V’s out of Whidbey Island, Wash. Then, after a two-year tour at Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Kingsville, Texas, he volunteered for operation DeepFreeze. He was aboard VX-6 for six years (1956-1962) flying as radioman on the R4D’s, P2V’s and the “Connie Crew.” An Antarctic mountain, Lishness Peak (2200m 78-53s 084-54w) near the south end of Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains was named after him.

He then transferred to HT8 at Ellyson field where he qualified as a helo crew chief and SAR rescue swimmer, 1962-1965. After AV-B school, he was ordered to VP-50 (1966-1969) where he flew the SP-5B Seaplanes and the P-3 Orions before being transferred to Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md., 1969-1973. After a three-year tour on the USS Independence CV-62 (1973-1976), he was assigned as the command senior chief, AV/Weps Division Scpo and Det maintenance senior chief with Squadron 10 Patrol, VP-10.

His sons, Tom and Bob, both served in the Navy with him at Naval Air Station, Brunswick. He retired July 1, 1982, after serving his country for 33 years, three months and three days of continuous service. He earned several degrees in business administration and business economics at the University of Maine Farmington and served his hometown of North New Portland, as town manager for 10 years before retiring a second time.

Alton was also a member of the Lions Club of New Portland, the Masons lodge of North Anson, The People Who Care Food Cupboard of Madison, and a member of the Community United Methodist Church in North Anson.

Alton also enjoyed playing Santa for many years, bringing excitement and joy to children of all ages.

He was predeceased by his parents, Tom and Olive Lishness, and his grandson, Kenny Bacon, Army veteran.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly Lishness of North Anson; his children, Susan Bacon of Clements, Md., Thomas Lishness and his wife, Laura, of Windsor, Jill Wood, her husband, Jay, of Mechanicsville, Md., Robert Lishness of California, Md., and their mother, Elsie Lishness of Hollywood, Md.

He is also survived by his stepchildren, Sim L. Daigle his wife, Christy, of Sabattus, and Ellen Stanley, her husband, Chris, of Norridgewock; grandchildren, Leah Danala, Tara Daigle, Matthew Daigle, Chris Lishness, Shaun Lishness, Mark Stanley, Chelsea Wood, Matthew Wood, and Stephanie Wood; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Thomasine Lutzky of Silver Springs, Md.; and a brother, Dean Lishness of Pleasant Ridge.

He touched the lives of so many … Loved by all … Never to be forgotten. He will be missed.

A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday, June 13, at the Community United Methodist Church in North Anson, with the Rev. Margo Carmines officiating. Interment will be in the Sunset Cemetery, North Anson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The People Who Care Food Cupboard, c/o Richard Dyer, 27 Blackwell Hill Road, Madison, ME 04950.

Arrangements are by Giberson Funeral Home, 40 Maple St., Madison.

Published in the Morning Sentinel on 6/12/2008

Burial:
Sunset Cemetery
North Anson
Somerset County
Maine, USA

—

Larry Hames
VP-4 1975 – 1978
VP-4 Veterans Assn Database Manager
database@vp4association.com

Donovan, Vincent Joseph, 85, of Arizona passed away on April 8, 2008. He was born in New York City Feb 18, 1923. He retired as CPO in the US Navy and served Naval Intelligence in South America and Korea, as well as Patrol Squadron in South East Asia. Upon retirement, he was employed in the electronics industry in California. He later began employment with Intel Corp. in 1977 and moved to Arizona in 1979. Retiring from Intel 1994..He will always be remembered in our hearts as a wonderful, sensitive, and generous man whose greatest priority was his family. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife Norma J. Donovan, married 51 years; Bob and Debbie Collins, daughter and son in law; Dennis P. David, son in law. They have 4 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and also survived by his sister Catherine Grace Donovan and 5 nieces/nephews residing in New York City. Services were held at Phoenix Memorial Park and Mortuary 200 West Beardsley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027 April 15, 2008.

ATR3 Paul R. GILDONE served in VP-4 during 1960 – 1961. He worked in Avionics and flew as a member of Crew 12.

PALM BAY, Fla. — Paul R. Gildone, age 67, of Palm Bay, Fla., passed away Monday, Oct. 8, 2007, after a brief illness.

Paul was born in Conneaut, Ohio, the son of Cosmo and Catherine (Ross) Gildone.

Paul is survived by two daughters, Susan (Billy) Thompson and Sara (Stuart) Patterson; and one son, Joseph Paul Gildone. He is also survived by brothers, Perry and William of Conneaut and Edward of Oklahoma; and one sister, Mary Alice DeGennaro of Florida. He is also survived by nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Martha, and brother, Vincent.

Funeral Services will be Friday, Oct. 12, 2007, at Memorial Funeral Home in Palm Bay.

Local information was provided by the Raisian Family Funeral Home, Conneaut.