Robert David Vickery Jr.

1947 - 2023

Robert David Vickery, Jr. (Dave) passed away July 3rd, 2023, at Providence Mission Hospital near his home in Laguna Niguel, California. Dave was preceded in death by his father Robert Vickery and his mother Ardith Hardlannert Vickery. He is survived by his wife Paige Newman Vickery, Laguna Niguel, California; two sons, Jason Vickery (Susi) of Temecula, California, and Joshua Vickery of Omaha, Nebraska, and a daughter Courtney Vickery of San Clemente, California; grandchildren Nate, Jake, Drew, Molly, Annie, Chloe and Maxx; and sister Alison Vickery Rider.

Dave grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and was a graduate of Westside High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He married his high school sweetheart Paige Newman in 1969 and entered the Air Force in April 1970. He served for twenty years at numerous Air Force bases in Nebraska, Kansas, California, Virginia and Georgia, where he specialized in flying KC-135 tankers. Dave earned his master's degree in leadership training and was an instructor at the U.S. Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. He retired in 1989 as an Air Force Lt. Colonel. Dave continued his flying career as a commercial pilot for United Air Lines where he headquartered out of LAX in Los Angeles until his retirement in 2007. He then joined a private jet management company in Orange County, where he served as the private pilot for Peter Ueberroth, former Commissioner of Baseball and chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Dave retired from flying 2017.

Dave and Paige lived in many locations before settling in Laguna Niguel, California, in 1992. Although his job often took him away from home and around the world, he was an active and deeply involved member of the Laguna and Dana Point Alcoholics Anonymous communities. This past June he celebrated his 39th AA birthday where dozens of his friends and sponsees gathered to share their stories about Dave's positive impact on their lives. It was a fitting tribute to someone whose gift to the world was to hold out his hand and heart to help his fellow man. Dave was known for his love of family, his generosity and sense of humor, a great laugh, a good story, his love of flying, and his huge and kind heart.

A memorial service will be held at 10am Friday, July 14th, at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Laguna Beach, California. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the A.R.C.H.Men's Halfway House (https://www.archhalfwayhouse.org/ Halfway House). Check made to ARCH 1502 N. 58th St., Omaha, NE 68104.