John Robert Boothe

Mt. Gilead - John Robert Boothe, 86, of 228 Chip Road, died Friday, September 20, 2013, at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst. A memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm Saturday, September 28, at the Montgomery County Airport, 262 Airport Road, Star, NC. Military rites will be conducted by the Randolph County Honor Guard. Dinner will follow at Martha's Grill, 220 South Main Street. Mr. Boothe was born on September 8, 1927, in Crozet, Virginia to Avis and Mary Burch Boothe, He was a 10 year veteran of the US Navy where he served in WWII and the Korean Conflict (1945 - 1955). He was a Chief Petty Officer specializing in aircraft maintenance. Mr. Boothe was a proud lifetime member of the NRA, the Virginia Militia, and an animal lover particularly horses and dogs. He was a War Bird specialist where he fixed and flew airplanes for 70 years. He was the 2003 recipient of the Charles Taylor "Master Mechanic" Award which was presented by the FAA. This award was named after Charles Taylor who built the engine for the Wright Brothers. He also received the FAA Master Pilot Award in 2005. He was a tough person with a heart of gold. He is survived by his daughter, Diana Robinson, of Fort Wayne, IN; son, Charles Boothe, of Pueblo, CO; grandsons, Dustin Charles Boothe and Travis Edward Boothe. It is the family's request that no cards, gifts, or flowers be sent. It is their desire that you make donations in his memory to one of the following: ASPCA, 424 E 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128-6804; NRA, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030; Wounded Warrior Foundation, PO Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675; or the American Cancer Society, Montgomery County Relay for Life, 1901 Brunswick Avenue, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28207. Funeral Service - 4:00 pm, Saturday, September 28, Montgomery County Airport, 262 Airport Road, Star, NC 27356.