William R. 'Dick' Gooner, carpenter, pilot

William R. 'Dick' Gooner, 68, of Milton, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. He was the son of the late Irene E. Hazzard and the late William E. Gooner.

Dick graduated from Milton High School in 1967. He joined the Air Force and served as a crew chief on C-130 airplanes in Vietnam. After an honorable discharge, he was an airplane mechanic for the Delaware Air National Guard in New Castle.

After taking a trip to the West Coast and back on his Harley, he joined Lockheed. He worked as maintenance instructor on C-130s in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for several years. Returning to the states, he was self-employed as a carpenter, building homes in the Lewes area. He was a pilot, and enjoyed flying around taking aerial pictures of the wildlife preserves and beaches in Delaware.

He lived a simple life, and enjoyed the land that he lived on, once owned by his grandfather, which he called "Pop Pop's Paradise." During Dick's life, he was a life mentor to several youths from the Milton area.

Leaving to cherish his memory are brothers Randy Gooner and Rodger Gooner; and sister Mary Billings. He is also survived by his dog, Scooter, whom he called his son.

Funeral services will be held at noon, Tuesday, Jan. 30, in the chapel of Short Funeral Services, 416 Federal St., Milton, with a time of visitation beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Millsboro.