King, Richard A.

Milan - Richard A. King, 74, passed away Sunday, June 24, 2007 at Northern Dutchess
Hospital.

Mr.King attended school in Herkimer, NY, but graduated from West Canada Valley Central
School in June of 1950, he was a member of the Varsity Basketball and Baseball teams.
He was an accomplished artist and upon graduation from State University New Paltz, he
taught for three years at Copenhagen Central School District. His lifelong dream to fly
led him to the Rhinebeck area in the spring of 1959 to join the staff as an Art Teacher
at Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, and to join in with workers of the newly forming
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum. He taught at Roosevelt High School for thirty-two years,
retiring in 1991.

He began flying at the aerodrome in 1959 and continued to do so until the fall of 1998.
He held a Commercial Pilot's license and amassed more than ten thousand flying hours on
aircraft designed or built between 1909 and 1939, while flying in the air shows at Old
Rhinebeck. He wrote a comprehensive book, "The Skies Over Rhinebeck, a Pilot's Story",
about his flying experiences at Old Rhinebeck that was published in 1998.

Born August 13, 1932, in Herkimer, NY, he was the son of William and Evelyn ( Davis )
King.

Mr. King is survived by his wife Virginia, four children, Matthew and his wife Vicki of
Tivoli, NY; Lt. Colonel Robin King, U.S. Army, and her husband Dave Smith , now stationed
in Kaiserslautern, Germany; Lori and Lance Call of Queen Creek, AZ; and Geoffrey and
Karin King of Bethany, CT. Also surviving are two stepchildren, Debbie and her husband
Jamie Ranicar of North Granby, CT; and David Groves of Milford, CT; Fourteen
Grandchildren, Jared, Julie, Skyler, Ryan, Mallory, Camille, Aaron, Chris, Jessica,
Tyler, Justin, Ben, Lucas and Josie; three great grandchildren, Cecilia, Madsen and
Olive; a brother William of Valley Cottage, NY; two sisters, Laurie Swiger of Herkimer,
NY, and Mary Hart of Nashville, TN; and several nieces and nephews.

He was pre deceased by a brother Ted and a sister Ester.

Calling hours are Wednesday, 5 to 8 PM at the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 W. Market
St., Rhinebeck.

Funeral Services are Thursday, 10 AM, at the Red Hook United Methodist Church, West
Market St., Red Hook. Interment will be in the Elizaville Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
1332 North Halsted Street Suite 201,Chicago, Illinois 60622, pulomonaryfibrosis.org.