Richard Devlin

DEVLIN, RICHARD (DICK) Dick was born April 18, 1925, in Elizabeth, NJ, and passed on November 7, 2008, in the arms of his wife, Mary Alice. He joined the Army Air Corps at eighteen as a cadet and learned to fly and became an officer and pilot. The Allies wanted to end the war and planned on invading Japan. That was when Dick joined the Glider Group, not knowing we had the atomic bomb. The war was over May 15, 1945, and Dick and Mary Alice had just married July 30, 1945, in North Carolina. They moved back to New Jersey to start their new life. They had two sons. Dick's love of flying took him to the New Jersey Air National Guard where he flew the P51 and P38. While practicing aerial gunnery, he had an accident and had to bail out over the Atlantic Ocean. He was rescued by a commercial fishing boat. The Captain said, "It was the biggest catch of the day." Dick retired from the Air Force after 20 years. Dick went with United Airlines in 1956, and retired after 30 years. United asked him to go to Toulouse, France to learn to fly their new plane, the Caravelle, then fly them back to Chicago. They refueled in Iceland and Scotland. Dick's hobbies were rebuilding airplanes and gliders and teaching his sons to fly. David soloed on his 16th birthday. Sailing and the water were always part of his life. Moving to San Diego in 1976, was a dream come true. He could sail 12 months long and joined Mission Bay Yacht Club. He became Commodore of MBYC in 1988. He was named Yachtsman of the Year 2001. He was Commodore of the San Diego Cruisers Association and Head Gull of the MBYC's Sea Gull Group. Dick was loved for always being a gentleman, having a wonderful Irish sense of humor, a great leader, and story teller. He will always be in our hearts with much love. You left us too soon. Dick is preceded in death by his son, Gregory. He is survived by his wife, Mary Alice, son David and wife Donna, brother George and wife Joanne, daugh-ter-in-law Barbara, grand- daughters Nicole and Julie, three nieces and two nephews. Donations in his memory may be sent to Odyssey Vista Care Hospice Foundation, 9444 Balboa Ave., San Diego, CA 92123 or Juniors In Boating (JIB), c/o Mission Bay Yacht Club, 1215 El Carmel Place, San Diego, CA 92109. Memorial Service will be held Sunday, January 4, 2009, 3 p.m. at the Mission Bay Yacht Club.