L.R. “Bob” Sackett left his earthly home on March 5th, 2019, in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Born January 1st, 1922 to Lowell Roscoe and Florida Belle Sackett in Pensacola, Florida.
He graduated Pensacola High School in the summer of 1939. Though married and starting a family Bob joined the U.S. Navy in March of 1942 shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He proudly served aboard the USS Pasadena and received six Battle Stars in the Pacific Theatre as a Chief Petty Officer. He witnessed the signing of the peace treaty between the United States and Japan while the Pasadena was moored to the USS Missouri. One of his proudest moments!
After the war he returned to Florida where he worked as a United States Postal Inspector for a brief time before he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot. He received his pilot’s license and began the pursuit of a career in aviation. He received his commercial pilot’s rating and took a job with Aero Commander in Bethany, Oklahoma.
Aero Commander was later purchased by North American Rockwell where Bob worked first as a test pilot and then he took over the duties as the Flight Safety Director. During his career at Rockwell he was a published author in Flying magazine as well as the coordinator and writer for many training and flight manuals including the Jet Commander, Turbo Prop Commander, and the Saberliner Jet.
In 1966 he took part in the Round the World Project featuring noted humorist Arthur Godfrey. He trained and certified Mr. Godfrey, along with the other flight crew members who went on to set 21 international records going around the world in a small commercial aircraft June 4th thru 7th, 1966.
After retiring from Rockwell in 1975 he went to work for H-K Enterprises and then finished his flying career in 1998 at CMI Corporation in Oklahoma City.
Besides flying, his other passions in life were music and his love of animals.
He played in the Navy Orchestra while serving and had many successful bands that he led in Pensacola and Oklahoma City. He was a gifted musician having started piano lessons at age five and eventually mastered the piano, organ, drums, and trombone. He liked to say he put many a meal on the table for his family playing in small venues wherever he lived.
His love of animals was well known and once said that he never remembered a time in his life when he didn’t have a dog. The neighbor kids knew if they found a dog or cat to take it to the Sackett household, it would find a home there. The day of his passing his beloved Pixie was on his lap as he went to sleep for the last time.
Bob was a former member of the Yukon Moose Lodge, the American Legion and of QB (Quiet Birdmen, an exclusive aviation society formed after World War I.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, his beloved step-father Charlie Baggett, two sons Lowell Robert Sackett Jr. and John Robert Sackett, his former wife Mary Frances Collier, and late wife Ramona Cruz Sackett.
He is survived by his wife Tomi Sackett, his precious caregivers for the last year step-daughter Chani Hileman and her husband Eric and their children Brett, Grant, and Emily, all of which took great care of Bob in his last days, step-daughter Kathryn Lee and husband Mark, step-son John Latzke and wife Kristy, step-son Darrell Wilson and wife Robin.
His surviving family members are daughter Brenda Kathryn Newcombe of Gulf Breeze, Florida, son David Sackett and wife Betty of Yukon, Oklahoma, son Larry Sackett and wife Dolly of Mustang, Oklahoma, daughter Susan Lynch and husband Tim of Fresno, California, son Mike and wife Vicki of Pearland, Texas, and son Lowell and wife Gwen of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 16th, at 2 p.m. at the Church of the Resurrection Episcopal Church located at 13112 North Rockwell Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73142.
At a later date, Sackett will be interred at the Yukon Cemetery in Yukon.
