Francis Xavier Staley Jr.

Lt. Col. Francis Xavier Staley Jr., USAF Ret., 87, of Frederick, died on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at the Washington County Hospital, Hagerstown. He was the husband of the late Ann Clinton Staley, who died Aug. 6, 2002. They were married on May 8, 1943.

Lt. Col. Staley graduated from Saint John's School, Frederick, and had attended Mount Saint Mary's College and Johns Hopkins University.

He enlisted in the United States Army, during World War II.

He had prior civilian flying experience with open cockpit, winged aircraft delivering US Mail, and was transferred to the Army Air Corps, becoming a pilot and flying 276 combat missions in the China-Burma-India theater of operations. He then went on to pilot operations during the Berlin Airlift "Operation Vittles." His military career lasted until his retirement from the Military Airlift Command in 1965.

His military awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters; air medal with four Oak leaf clusters; Presidential Unit Citation; Good Conduct Medal, Pearl Harbor; European campaign medal; Asiatic-Pacific campaign ribbon with bronze star; World War II victory medal; Occupation medal with Air Lift device; Medal for Humane Action; Armed Forces Reserve medal; Air Force Longevity ribbon with Oak leaf clusters; National Defense Service Medal and Republic of China (ROC), War Memorial Medal.

He also worked as a pilot for Pan Am airlines for a number of years and later worked in for the State of Vermont Parole Bureau. He worked in audio-visual services at the University of Massachusetts and also at the Clark School for the Deaf, North Hampton, Mass. He also worked for a number of years with Black Mountain Ski Resort. He opened and operated Dickensian Chimney Sweeps and he and his wife owned and operated Staley Real Estate, Tamworthe, N.H.

He was a member of Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Lt. Col. Staley was also a founding member of the British Air Museum, the Hump Pilots Association (CBI); Air Force Retired Officers Association; the AMVETS Post #9, and the Francis Scott Key, Post 11, American Legion, of Frederick.

He is survived by five children, Frank Staley and Margaret Staley, both of Atlanta, Ga., Victor Staley, of Dennis, Mass., Sean Staley of Westminster and Tracy Staley Schubert of Middletown; thirteen grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret "Sis" Lebherz.

The family will receive friends from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, June 23, at the Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street, Frederick, Md. A Christian Wake Service will be held at the funeral home Thursday at 3 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 24, from Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 118 East Second Street, Frederick. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by his former pastor, Father Richard J. Murphy. Interment with full military honors will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, August 17, at Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, Va. Those attending should assemble at the Administration Building by 12:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Hospice of Frederick County, Inc, P.O. Box 1719, Frederick, MD 21702-1719 or to a local hospice organization.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.keeneybasford.com.