Richard Lee "Dick" Pankratz

Date of Birth : January 16, 1933

Date Deceased : November 11, 2020

Richard Lee "Dick" Pankratz flew his "final flight West" on November 11, 2020, at the age of 87, in his home of 44 years in Fall City, WA after a long battle with dementia.

The oldest of twelve children, Dick was born in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, to Leo and Mary (Lubberink) Pankratz. The family lived in several places in WI, UT, NV, CA, OR and WA.

Dick had an early interest in aviation. He earned his private pilot's license in exchange for pumping gas and washing airplanes at the Mulino Airport near Molalla. OR. He started his airline career in Seattle with Pacific Northern Airlines as a mechanic in 1958. He transferred to operations in 1967 and was the last pilot hired by PNA before merging into Western Airlines. Three years later Western closed the Anchorage base and Dick and the family moved back to the Seattle area, settling in Issaquah.

During his airline career he flew the Lockheed Constellation and Electra, and Boeing 707/720, and as a Captain on the 727 and 737. Western merged with Delta in 1987, and Dick retired in 1993.

The family had moved to Fall City in 1976 to fulfill his dream of living on a small airport. He had several planes and was an active member of the aviation and local communities. After retirement in 1993, Dick transitioned easily to focus on travel, grandkids, home projects and of course flying. Throughout his life, Dick's common themes were aviation, family, home, education, travel, and hard work before play. He loved to talk about anything mechanical: airplanes, old tractors or cars or old engines. He was a kid from a big family, with limited formal education, who farmed and logged before becoming an A&P mechanic and commercial pilot. He inspired many to work hard and chase their dreams of flying. He was a rock, a leader and adventurer, and leaves an inspirational legacy.

Dick is survived by his wife of 64 years, Janice (Weaver) Pankratz, children, Judy (Jonathan) White, Elizabeth (Peter) Bogers, and Jeremy (Nicole) Pankratz, and siblings, William, James , Michael, Susan Wadle, Sally Kemple, Margaret Palfrey and John. He is predeceased by his parents, siblings, Robert, Delores Jensen, Patrick, Kristine.

Remembrances in honor of Dick and his lifelong passion for aviation, small plane restoration and learning, may be sent to the Port Townsend Aero Museum https://ptaeromuseum.com/contribute/, the Alaska Aviation Museum https://alaskaairmuseum.org/donate/, The Museum of Flight www.museumofflight.org or a charity of your choice.

Due to COVID restrictions, Services at St. Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church in Issaquah, WA and a Celebration of Life will be planned for future dates. Arrangements are being handled by Flintofs in Issaquah, WA.

Published on December 27, 2020ome them over the years.

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Richard Lee "Dick" Pankratz flew his "final flight West" on November 11, 2020, at the age of 87, in his home of 44 years in Fall City, WA after a long battle with dementia.

The oldest of twelve children, Dick was born in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, to Leo and Mary (Lubberink) Pankratz. The family lived in several places in Wisconsin, Utah, Nevada, Washington and California, before settling in Molalla, Oregon. Dick attended 18 different schools in 8 years before being pulled from school at the age of 15 to help support his family. He drove a 50-mile paper route before he could legally drive, worked on farms and in dairies, and in the woods. He owned his own portable sawmill and employed his father and brothers for a time. On one run through Molalla, with his logging truck, Dick stopped at the Gayway Cafe and found the love of his life, Janice, making burgers and milkshakes. It took him several chocolate milkshakes to finally ask her out.

Dick had an interest in aviation from a very young age. At 5, his mother arranged a flight for him in a Piper J2 Cub...his birthday was in January, and upon arriving at the airport in Marshfield, Wisconsin, they were told the pilots didnt fly those little airplanes in the winter, so his mother saved the $5 for a summer flight. Dick loved the flight, and was hooked...he never recovered from the aviation bug. He earned his private pilots license in an Aeronca Champ in exchange for pumping gas and washing airplanes at the Mulino Airport near Molalla. He purchased a wrecked PT-19 for $300, rebuilt it, flew and landed it once, roughly, in his parents backyard, and sold the parts for a profit. Perhaps the problem was the bedsheet covering the belly?

He courted his wife-to-be, by flying around the Willamette Valley until he found Janice cutting teasel, and after landing in a nearby harvested field, would saunter over with a warm beer refresher. He also became known as "that crazy damn Pankratz kid" to Janices parents when he would buzz the family home. One of his last conversations with his grandson Brian was expressing his passion for flying with an enthusiastic "Yeah" after watching a Carbon Cub (the modern version of the J2 Cub he had his first airplane ride in) take off in front of his home airport in Fall City.

Education was a lifelong passion for Dick, perhaps because he missed out on his own high school time. After he met Janice, she went to Oregon State College and he was off to Eugene Vocational School to work towards his Airframe and Engine Mechanics license. After marrying in Oregon City in December 1956, they both transferred and finished their education in Seattle.

Dick and Janice lived for a short time on Queen Anne Hill and then bought their first home in the Ravenna District. Dick started his airline career with a short stint at United Airlines smashing bags and then was hired by Pacific Northern Airlines as a mechanic in 1958. He quickly became known as "Mr. Clean" in the hangar and at several upline stations in Alaska, where he was a relief lead. His flying had been on hold for a time while they got established and started their family, but Dick soon had the flying bug bite him again. He had the opportunity to audit a new-hire class for Flight Engineers at PNA, while building time in his Aeronca L3 flying out of the Martha Lake Airport, north of Seattle. When another candidate dropped out (because his girlfriend didnt want to move to Anchorage), Dick became the last member of the class, and the last pilot hired by PNA before merging into Western Airlines in 1967.

The change to Operations also meant a move to Anchorage, Alaska. Dick loved the flying, the adventure of Alaska and most of all the airplanes...everywhere airplanes. While in Anchorage, he flew for PNA/Western on the Lockheed Constellation and Electra. During his three-year assignment, he took the family on camping adventures encompassing all the paved roads in Alaska at the time, and many more unpaved, narrow, winding, steep and precarious gravel and "barely there" roads. The only restriction on adventures was Janices screeching "DIIICCCCKKKKK!!!!" He also continued his small airplane adventures, rebuilding a Luscombe 8A "Marigold" and a Commonwealth Skyranger "Yellow Bird" in the neighbors garage.

In 1970, Western closed the Anchorage pilot base and Dick and the family moved back to the Seattle area, settling in Issaquah on Squak Mountain. He was flying the Boeing 707/720 at the time. Continuing with his rebuilding projects, he and his brother-in-law Allan Phelps, brought an Aeronca L3 home and he worked on it in his own garage for a change. The neighborhood kids came and watched him iron the Dacron fabric on the fuselage in amazement. He later assembled it at the Issaquah Skysports Airport (currently the location of Costco) and took his toddler son Jeremy for his first small plane ride.

Dick moved through the seats in the jets, from Flight Engineer to Copilot, to Captain, flying the 727 and 737 for Western and then Delta after the 1987 merger. He was stationed in several places during this time: Salt Lake, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, but always commuted from the family home.

In 1976 he moved his family from Issaquah to Fall City to build his dream on the Fall City Airport...6 acres with a custom house designed for Janice and his custom hangar/shop with access to the midpoint of the private runway. The airplanes came and went, some projects, some flying...2 Ercoupes, a Navion, a Cessna 150, a BeDe 5, a "V-tail" Beechcraft Bonanza and Model 50 Twin "T-Bone" Bonanza and a Piper/Taylor J2 Cub.

Along with antique tractors, the Allis Chalmers, Farmall Cub, and Ford 8N and his beloved Bobcat, he was never short on projects to work on in the hangar and property. Boppa, as he was named by his oldest grandchild, Laura, and the Bobcat could move mountains...and did. He used it to dig the pond for a firefighting water source, built his hangar from timbers sourced from a century old railroad trestle (in the dark so he wouldnt scare himself), and later used it with a ladder in the bucket to change yard light bulbs or trim trees, with a chainsaw.

Traveling continued in a camper, and two motorhomes...it was always handy to have the house on wheels when Dick wanted to get up early and drive a couple hours before the rest of the family woke...stopping to have breakfast on the road. Often there was more noise after a sharp corner or bump…"DIIIICCKKK!!" It was also handy to have the carrying capacity of a larger vehicle so he could get his found treasures home...never mind that the roll top desk had to be opened in order to get the motor homes refrigerator open, or the boxes of piano rolls had to be moved to go to bed for the night.

Travel also included flying commercially to many places he couldnt drive to before breakfast, multiple times to Europe to visit ancestral homes, former exchange students and for sightseeing, family vacations to Hawaii and a memorable cruise through the Caribbean, Panama Canal and up the coast of Mexico. Dick liked to talk, but he also got involved and got things done...He was VP of the Western Airlines Pilots Union (ALPA) while in Anchorage and was heavily involved in contract negotiations. He was one of the early organizers of the Fall City Airport Association, starting in 1979, establishing the Bylaws and structure for the pilots ownership of their private airport. He was elected VP of the Delta Golden Wings (retired pilots group) after he retired.

Dick enjoyed participating in Career Day at Mt. Si High School to encourage young people to choose a career in aviation. He also represented Delta Airlines at the annual Airventure Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After retiring from Delta as a captain on the 727 in January 1993, Dick settled into retirement life without missing a beat...Commercial flying gave way to grandkids and regular family activities with a plan, more projects and more travel...often in the motor home with the grandkids. They too experienced the early morning "gotta get some miles done" before breakfast and adventures driving cross country with grandparents who like to wander searching out ancestors homes, cucumbers from farm stands by the Mississippi River and of course, air shows and flyins! At home, when the grandbabies were fussy or needed a nap, it was Boppa in his rocking chair who could settle them. Boppa schooled them on airplane identification, in books from his extensive library and at airports and museums. There was always going to be a "test later."

He was a regular at the Museum of Flight with the grands, friends or out of town guests. Dick enjoyed showing off his current collection of airplanes and many guests were put through training flights in his WWII vintage Link Trainer. He gave lots of first rides to friends and family in his own planes and hosted groups to come and learn about his passion for airplanes...including three preschool groups who were photographed on the wing of the T-bone and picnicked afterwards under the wing. Dick and his family and friends volunteered for years at the annual Arlington Flyin. He could be found on the antique tractor drawn shuttles, giving advice on where to secure the best spots for the air show, pointing out unusual or rare aircraft to see and keeping the riders safe. If there was someone who wanted to talk aviation or the particulars about their own plane as he wandered the rows of parked aircraft, he was more than willing to stop and trade stories for hours. Walking the rows with Boppa was a favorite for grandkids and their many friends, talking about the various aspects of each type and variety of airplane and examining the details of engine, construction or restoration. Back at camp, on the Flightline of course, Boppa would enjoy a beer, watch the airplanes taxi by or take off and land and quiz his followers on what theyd seen and learned. If there was some teasing happening, or a water fight, you could be sure that Boppa was in the middle of it.

Throughout his life, Dicks common themes were aviation, family, home, education, travel, and hard work before play. He was a do-it-yourselfer and recycler before it was a thing, because who can do it better? And of course, clean up and put away the tools! He always had time to talk about anything mechanical, especially if it involved an airplane...or a tractor...or an old car...an old engine...he did like to talk! He was a kid from a big family, with limited formal education, who farmed, owned a logging operation, worked and scraped to become an aircraft mechanic and commercial pilot, raised a family and inspired many others to work hard and chase their dreams...especially if those dreams involved flying.

Two of his proudest moments were when his grandchildren took him for flights...Laura in a Cessna 172, and Brian in an Aeronca Champ...the same type of airplane hed learned to fly. He was a rock for many, a leader and adventurer, and leaves an inspirational legacy for his family and friends.

Dick is survived by his wife of 64 years, Janice (Weaver) Pankratz, children, Judy (Jonathan) White of Concrete, WA, Elizabeth (Peter) Bogers of Bellevue, WA, and Jeremy (Nicole) Pankratz of Pleasant View, UT, grandchildren Laura and Brian White, Cyndi Bogers, Kurtis and Mary Pankratz, and his siblings, William of Vancouver, WA, James of Sandy, OR, Michael of Redmond, OR, Susan Wadle of Portland, OR, Sally Kemple of Portland, OR, Margaret Palfrey of Kenniwick, WA, and John of Portland, OR. He is predeceased by his parents, siblings, Robert of Pebble Beach, CA, Delores Jensen of Inyokern, CA, Patrick of Sandy, OR, Kristine Pankratz of Portland, OR and nephew David Pankratz of Vancouver, WA.

Remembrances in honor of of Dick and his lifelong passion for aviation, small plane restoration and learning, may be sent to the Port Townsend Aero Museum https://ptaeromuseum.com/contribute/, the Alaska Aviation Museum https://alaskaairmuseum.org/donate/, The Museum of Flight www.museumofflight.org or a charity of your choice.