Roger H. Van Pelt

Roger Van Pelt, Sr.

(1931-2018)

“Don’t take any wooden nickels.”

“Take it easy -  but take it.”

“I was born at a very young age…”

These are just a few of the many pearls of wisdom (also known as “Roger-isms” by his many friends and family) regularly spoken by Roger. Well known for his great fondness for Colby cheese and goetta omelettes, Roger also loved animals, was always kind, and was rarely ever witnessed to be in a bad mood.

He was a proud father of 4; with eleven grandkids and six great-grandkids. Born and raised on Cooper Road in Montgomery, Ohio, to the late Arthur and Emily (nee Lumley) Van Pelt.  He was also preceded in death by his brother Lee Van Pelt.  Roger was also a long time resident of New Richmond, Ohio, and later Brooksville and Ocala, Florida. His most recent residence was at Sem Villa and Sem Haven of Milford, Ohio.

Roger graduated from Sycamore High School in 1949, and attended Ohio State University studying Animal Husbandry - until the Corp came calling in 1950. In February that year, he enlisted in the Marine Corp via Parris Island. He served 3 years active duty during the Korean War, earning the rank of Sergeant.

After his service, he worked a brief stint as a lineman for Cincinnati Bell, which is when he met and married Betty Jordan of Madisonville (d. 2003). Roger and Betty were married for 21 years and resided in Dillonvale, Ohio. Their four children miss him immensely: Roger, Jr. of Deer Park; Laurie (Van Pelt) Williams of Milford; Beth (Van Pelt) Harrison of Mason; and Ross of Owensville.

Roger’s true passion was airplanes. He bought his first airplane in 1957; a Taylorcraft BC-12 - without even knowing how to fly it. He ultimately did learn how to fly and bought another airplane, and thus began the foundation of his flight school that he created and operated out of Blue Ash airport for several years.

In 1966 he helped start a travel company powered by a DC7 called, “Travel A Go-Go; A Country Club in the Air”. This radical concept, along with an annual membership, flew guests from Cincinnati to Nassau round-trip for $80. In 1979, Roger formed a long-standing partnership with John Fudge to form Aviation One. With help from Northside Bank President Cliff Coors, they owned and leased 27 separate 310R airplanes to fly throughout the Midwest. With this success, Roger and John partnered with another Cincinnati businessman, John Sawyer, where they ran operations out of the iconic “A” frame office building once located on Wilmer Road.

In just one example of his assertive salesmanship, Roger once took a prospective buyer on a test flight. They ran out of gas and had to make an emergency landing in a cornfield in Southwestern Indiana, but he still managed to close the deal and sold the plane.

In 1983, Roger moved to 121 acres of farmland in New Richmond, Ohio. He loved to farm, and raised and bred horses as well as Black Angus cattle. However, the winters wore on him as he got older, so in 1997 he relocated to Brooksville, Florida and eventually to Ocala, Florida. He continued to run a successful airplane sales business until the mid 1990’s; buying and selling aircrafts of all types. A testament to his love of aircraft, he could tell the make and model of a propeller airplane merely by the way it sounded as it flew overhead.

Up until his death, he was an aeronautical consultant to many pilots and dealers nationwide. He loved Lunken Airport, he loved the Sky Galley, he loved everyone; most of all, he loved his family.

A Celebration of Life is planned for September 22, 2018, (his birthday) at the Airman’s Club of Lunken Airport beginning at 5:00 PM. Any donations may please be made out to Hospice of Cincinnati, VA Hospital or the Wounded Warrior Project.

MuellerfuneralS.com

Roger Van Pelt, Sr. has Gone West.