Vol. 24 October – December 2019 No. 4

President’s Message Larry Skinner

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year! 2020! Is that

even possible? I remember spending the

night at JSF on New Year’s Eve 2000 in

anticipation of the catastrophic Y2K! It was one of

the biggest “non-events” in history (but only after an

untold amount of $’s and labor hours were spent

around the world testing systems and equipment).

Oh well, better to be safe than sorry.

On a sad note, we lost two of our longtime Vought

Retiree Club volunteers at the end of 2019. Both

Don Higginbotham and Bill Strother became

members when the club was formed, and remained

active on the Executive Committee until their

deaths. Don was a past President and event

coordinator, and Bill managed the Club materials

and memorabilia. Both will be dearly missed.

(see their Memorials at the end of this newsletter)

I think everyone who attended our East Texas

Christmas Luncheon in December had a great time.

It was held once again at the beautiful, rustic Sky

Ranch Encampment in Van, TX. And we had some

of the best prime rib I’ve ever eaten; and I’ve eaten

a lot of prime rib. Oh yeah, the entertainment was

our own Gaye Kortegast, who sang several holiday

classics in pitch perfect fashion. Thanks Gaye!

And thanks to all the east Texans who attended -- it

was great to visit with you again.

I’m now thirteen months into the double knee

replacements (still paying for my youth), and I must

say, it’s been life changing, and one of the best

decisions I’ve ever made (and I’ve made a lot of

decisions -- most of them not so good!). Wish I’d

done it five years sooner!

The VHF restoration volunteers are in need of some

folding chairs for their meeting/break room. If you

have any you don’t need and would like to donate

them, contact Cathie Barrington, myself, or the club

office and we’ll make arrangements to get them

picked up, or give you directions to the facility if

you’d like to come for a visit.

Here’s hoping you have a warm and comfortable

winter. Spring is just around the corner, and the

Cowboys go to summer camp in just six months --

with a new coaching staff! Super Bowl LV, here we

come!

Larry

In Memoriam by Ann Christmas

The Retiree Club has been notified since our last

newsletter of the following deceased members.

Our sincere sympathy goes out to the families of

those listed. Each will be missed.

Barbara Greene – 4-23-18

Janet H. Bennett – 4-18-19

Ronald Ernest Greene – 4-30-19

Steve Herrick – 9-8-19

Bill Strother – 10-21-19

James Ray “Jim” Meuth – 10-26-19

J. D. Carter – 10-30-19

Henry Evan Davis III – 11-6-19

Donald Ray “Don” Higginbotham – 11-14-19

Patricia Ball Buzard – 12-7-19

Edgar Roy (Buz) Clarkson, Jr. – 1-12-2020

2020 Dues ! by Gaye Kortegast

It’s time to send in your 2020 membership dues!

(If you’re not sure whether or not you’ve renewed,

you may check the mailing label on this newsletter for

status of your membership.)

If you would like to renew for 2020, please send

your dues as soon as you can !

The cost is still only $5.00 per person per year. You

may renew for as many years as you desire.

Or, Lifetime memberships are only $50 per person.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you !

Volunteer Events by Johnnie Johnson

MISSION ARLINGTON

210 W. South Street

Arlington, Texas 76010

On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, we are scheduled to

volunteer at Mission Arlington, from 11:00 a.m. to

1:00 p.m.

Mission Arlington is a wonderful organization that

runs on the help of volunteers. By volunteering, it

connects you with the community to serve others for

the good.

This is an opportunity to make a positive impact in

our communities by helping those who are in need.

Retirees, family, and friends are invited to

participate in this event. Give me a call and let me

know if you would like to join us.

For more information, call Johnnie Johnson at

817-845-7576, or the Retiree Club at 817-478-1885.

Thanks for your help!

Johnnie Johnson

NEW T-shirt – O3U-3 Corsair I

The new blue shirts featuring the O3U-3 Corsair I

are available for a donation of $15. Shipping

charges (if mailed, instead of being picked up at the

Vought Retiree Club office) are $7 for one shirt, $8

for two, or actual shipping cost for over two shirts.

Pick one up at, or order one from, the Retiree Club

office (retireeclub@vought.org or 817-478-1885).

The new blue O3U-3 Corsair I T-shirt –

The 100th

Anniversary of Chance Vought T-shirt

is available for $12 for the restocked 2XL and 3XL

sizes, still $10 for the other sizes.

The 100th

Anniversary of Chance Vought T-shirt --

Renew your membership for 2020,

and continue to get your

Vought Retiree Club News!

Call the Club at (817) 478-1885 Chairman of Major Programs – Jim Hill or Email: retireeclub@vought.org V.P. - Membership Assistant – Ann Christmas

membershiprc@vought.org

The back of the T-shirt is shown here --

The close-up of the graphic on the back of the

T-shirt is shown here --

Executive Committee meets the first Wednesday of each month

The Executive Committee of the Vought Retiree

Club meets at 9:15 a.m. on the first Wednesday of

each month in the office suite generously provided

by Texas Trust Credit Union in the Texas Trust

Business Park at 5840 W. I-20 in southwest

Arlington.

The Vought Heritage Foundation Restoration

volunteer crew is working in the new facility

provided by the Grand Prairie Independent School

District. They currently meet every Tuesday and

Thursday -- from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Restoration News

Updates from Rusty Branum

In this issue of the Vought Retiree Club News, the

activities of the Restoration Group are detailed for

the period August through December.

December was a short month due to the holidays.

The Restoration Volunteers have started up again

beginning Thursday, January 2, and are working on

the O3U-3 fuselage.

Anyone who wants to help restore

the company’s old aircraft,

come join the Restoration Volunteers !

July 25

So on Tuesday, I said I wanted to find some

TEMCO service pins, so here they are, thanks to Pat

Patterson, most of these belonged to his dad.

The black triangular pin is actually from North

American Aviation, and the first round one is Texas

Engineering (5 years), then some TEMCO (5, 10,

and 15 years), and a few more LTV pins (15, 20, 25,

30, and 35 years)...enjoy the pictures.

August 6

It was a hot day in the hangar today. We are still

having some issues with two machines --

overheating during use and shutting down. We have

located some replacement heaters for one, and will

have them ordered and installed by next week. The

other machine is quite old, so the hunt for

replacement parts continues. Work has begun to

fabricate wing turn-over fixtures. They will be

required when we begin covering all of the main

wings.

Fire alarm internal testing, and some training, was

completed today. Final testing with the Fire

Marshal maybe later this week -- fingers crossed.

Fire Alarm

August 13

We gathered today to celebrate July, August, and

September birthdays, and some special recognition

to two new members of our 90-year old volunteers,

Wade Anderson and Pat O'Hara. Happy Birthday to

all. Anytime we have cake and donuts and coffee,

we get a large turn-out, with a lot of catching up,

and everybody had a great time.

July birthdays -- Bruce White, Wade Anderson (90),

and Jerry Fischer

August birthdays -- Rusty Branum, Pat O’Hara

(91), and Cathie Barrington

September Birthdays -- Joyce Ross, Dick Guthrie,

Richard Sheaner, and Don Wooldridge

Wade Anderson and Pat O’Hara were also honored

with their names added to the plaque for Volunteers

who have reached their 90th

birthday. (see photo

below)

The following 3 photos were taken at the July-

August-September birthday celebration.

All the attendees were happy to see Dick Atkins,

who is recovering from his broken hip.

The last photo shows some of the completed

projects, since the restoration efforts were begun.

I was able to install new thermal heaters in our

small band saw, and now have it running again.

We still have one drill press, with issues, but cannot

locate repair parts for it.

We passed our fire alarm inspection earlier this

week.

August 27

We got a welcome relief from the Texas heat today,

and got some much needed rain and cooler temps.

I was able last week to locate the thermal heaters for

our ailing drill press, and got them installed this

morning. The drill press is running like a top again;

we estimate this machine to be at least 60 years old.

O3U-3 airplane restoration progress –

Wat Watkins and Dillon Smith are working hard on

the fuselage.

Jerry Fischer and Bob Szabados are working on

some wing fixtures.

Jerry Fischer is doing some mill work with the

Bridgeport.

Dick Guthrie, Bruce White, and Stu Reichert are

working on covering some of the control surfaces.

A lot of cables and pulleys are being installed into

the fuselage by Pat Patterson.

The city inspectors and Fire Marshal will be onsite

this week for, hopefully, final approval of facility

upgrades and will issue our occupancy certificate.

We will not be working this Thursday, getting an

early jump on Labor Day holiday.

September 4

The city inspection and fire inspection were both

completed last week. We passed, with only a minor

issue to correct. Yea! -- finally finished with

facility upgrades and inspections, now on to

building some airplanes.

We had a great visit from Martin Wimmer, Manager

of Innovation and Technology at Triumph

AeroStructures. He visited the facility and likes

what we are doing, and wanted to help preserve the

Vought legacy with a sizable donation to help with

our efforts. Martin Wimmer was representing Dave

Dennison, VP - Engineering & Technologies, who

initiated the donation. Thank you to Triumph

AeroStructures, Dave Dennison, and Martin

Wimmer! We really do appreciate your help!

Martin Wimmer, Manager of Innovation and

Technology at Triumph AeroStructures presented a

sizable donation the Vought Heritage Foundation

to help preserve the Vought legacy

September 10

Well, just when we thought we were done with

building inspections, along comes another one. This

time, the inspection is for hazardous waste handling

and disposal. We are not sure, but we think we

passed; we will have to wait for the final report.

Out in the assembly area, the O3U-3 control

surfaces are getting additional coats of fabric sealer;

about eight total coats will be required to make all

the fabric waterproof.

More machine work is being done on the Bridgeport

mill, making some detail parts for the overhead

lifting beam.

Some woodworking wizardry -- Bob Szabados built

a cove fixture, allowing the cove to be produced on

the table saw, I swear I think this guy is related to

Noah, he can build anything from wood.

The pilot’s dash assembly is getting some

modifications; it will require some paint touch-up

when we are done.

I ordered some more parts this morning for the

Bridgeport mill. During the call, the guy asked what

we did at Vought, I told him about all the

restoration work we have done. It turns out that he

was a RADAR tech on F-4 aircraft in the Marines.

He wasn’t a big fan of the A-7, but the F4U was one

of his favorite airplanes.

September 20

No photos this week, just a short update.

All of the control surfaces have had multiple coats

of the fabric sealer applied.

We are going to start additional work next week on

the upper right wing. Moving the wings is a four-

man job, and full of risk.

Machine work continues on wing lifting fixtures

and overhead beam.

We did some lubricating of all the garage doors and

tried our best to fix a sticky front door, better but

not perfect.

We also did some yard clean up, picking up broken

tree limbs and doing some edging and weeding,

thanks to Mickey Branum for your hard work.

Coming up the last weekend of October, we will be

taking the 1/2 scale F4U Corsair to the Wings Over

Dallas airshow. Jim Ross is hard at work getting

the plane ready. https://www.facebook.com/events/2287691671343805/

September 24

Bob Szabados and Rusty Branum built a holding

platform this morning for moving the wing

assemblies. We built it to use the fork lift, including

pockets for the lifting forks and a backstop.

We moved the top right-hand wing from the high

bay area to the front garage area, and then placed it

onto two more adjustable wing holding fixtures.

Each of the four main wings are going through

some final internal work prior to starting covering.

Outside, Mickey and Rusty Branum did some more

tree limb cutting and weed spraying, and some leaf

blowing/sweeping on the parking areas.

Best news of all, the city officially issued our

Certificate of Occupancy -- it only took us 13

months.

September 30

F7U-3 BuNo 129554 finally makes its way home to

Arizona. The following 3 photos were provided by

Al Casby.

Restoration will continue at Falcon Field in Mesa,

AZ, and ultimately the restored F7U-3 will be based

at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

October 3

Work continues this week on the O3U-3 wings and

fuselage assemblies. Wing turn-over fixtures are

being welded. We had some issues with the welder

tripping a circuit breaker, but we found another

circuit that was up to the task.

Bob Szabados is busy building a second set of wing

joining fixtures.

October 8

Bob Szabados and Rusty Branum built two more

adjustable wing holding fixtures this morning. We

still need some wheels and uprights to finish.

Wing assembly is getting more coats of varnish

applied.

We mounted the radial engine in the machine shop

area, so we can continue with fabrication of heat

shields.

Machine work continues on overhead fixture detail

parts.

Nut plate rails are being fitted along the top frame

rail of the fuselage.

October 22

Bob Szabados and Jerry Fischer are working on the

second set of wing assembly fixtures.

Stan Bullard and Dick Guthrie are working on the

wing turn-over fixture.

Some work is getting done on the top fuselage

assembly.

A drawing of our wing turn-over fixture was

produced.

Our overall task schedule was made, and we are on

schedule for the most part.

Anybody who has worked in the aircraft industry

knows the importance of Foreign Object Damage

(FOD) control; just this morning, we swept the

parking lot and another hand full of nasty stuff was

picked up. The plastic container is almost full of

stuff we have found since we moved in.

This weekend is the Wings Over Dallas air show,

at Executive Airport, come on out and enjoy some

vintage airplanes, we will be there with the half-

scale F4U Corsair.

October 25

Spent the day at Wings Over Dallas air show, it was

cold and wet, but there was a large turnout, we were

inside and stayed dry. Tomorrow and Sunday

should be better. Here are some photos.

November 7

We had a nice visit from Dick Atkins and his

granddaughter this week. Dick brought us some

really nice battery-powered tools donated from

Mark Nankivil, from St. Louis, he and Dick are

long-time friends and fans of the Vought A7. We

will certainly put these assets to use, many thanks to

Mark for the donation.

Jerry Fischer is still making some wing fittings on

the Bridgeport mill.

Bob Szabados is putting the new Ryobi drill thru the

paces.

We finally have the gas turned back on in the

building and have most of our overhead heaters

working. Next week, I will work on lighting the hot

water heater pilot, and finally attempt to start the

central heating system.

November 12

Last week, we finally got the facility gas turned

back on, and good timing -- all of our overhead

heaters are now working as well as the central heat,

and we got the hot water heater lit this morning. The

heaters warmed up the work areas in no time.

Jerry Fischer is busy on the Bridgeport mill again

this morning, making more parts for the overhead

crane.

Bob Szabados has built a custom router and mill

fixture, to be used to produce all of the many

fuselage stringers. We estimate we have to mill

about 150 pieces for the job. The fixture will make

sure they are all the same profile.

Stringers are made of mahogany and affixed to the

airplane ribs -- they provide a smooth surface for

attaching the fabric.

On November 21, we will celebrate October,

November, and December Birthdays. You are

welcome to join us for cake and coffee.

November 21

We celebrated our October, November, and

December birthdays this week, Happy Birthday to

Paula Hastings, Dick Atkins, Wat Watkins, Stan

Bullard, Mickey Branum and Bob Szabados.

We were only missing Jim Hill.

November Birthdays – Mickey Branum and Bob

Szabados

December Birthdays -- Paula Hastings, Dick Atkins,

Wat Watkins, and Stan Bullard:

Some replacement parts came in for the Bridgeport

mill.

We were able to fix a broken clock spring on the

quill.

A pattern is being fabricated to mount the engine on

the fuselage structure.

Mock-up of stringers has begun.

Rusty Branum had lunch this week with several of

his old co-workers from my days at LTV/Lockheed

Martin, and he may have been able to convince

some of them to come help us with our project.

Some new help would be much appreciated.

We will be working next Tuesday, but not on

Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

November 26

We had a pretty good turn-out for the last work day

before Thanksgiving.

Work was done on the bottom stringers, and some

work started on the upper dorsal.

My wife Mickey and I surprised all the volunteers

with a pre-Thanksgiving meal. We had some good

food and a few laughs, thanks to my wonderful wife

Mickey!

Rusty and Mickey Branum

December 5

Well, another machine started giving us some

issues, shutting down after a short run time. I guess

we will need some more hard-to-find heaters to

make it happy. This old slip roller is pretty old and

crusty, but does a great job with rolling sheet metal.

I'll do the internet search, and see what I can find.

Bob Szabados and Jerry Fischer built a work stand

this morning for an oscillating drum sander we had,

but seldom use. In the past few weeks, the sander

was set up in the floor and being used to deburr

some parts on the O3U-3. Getting it up off the floor

saves on sore knees.

Earl Hastings was busy painting some set-up

stringers for the O3U-3.

December 10

It was cold in the hangar bays this morning, but all

of our gas heaters are working fine, and warmed the

place up in no time.

Bob Szabados and Jerry Fischer put the finishing

touches on our oscillating drum sander work stand;

now we just need a coat of paint.

Work continues on the belly of the plane, forming

ribs and stringers. You can never have too many

clamps.

A look at one of the drawings we are working from,

this one dated 1932, shows all measurements in

fractions (no decimals). Look at the materials list --

lots of birch, spruce, mahogany, and cotton.

December 17

Rusty Branum located some new heaters for the slip

roller and got them installed today. She now runs

like a top.

More work on the Bridgeport mill -- Jerry Fischer

doing his magic.

Out on the O3U-3 airplane, more work installing

ribs and stringers.

Today was our annual Christmas lunch. We had a

large turnout. A lot of these guys we only see once

a year. I counted 33 enjoying some great food and

fellowship, and cake and pie and cookies....oh my.

We all gathered outside the building for our group

picture. Today is the last day we are working this

year, to return on January 2nd. So till we meet again

this will be the last post this year, Merry Christmas

to all, and Happy New Year.

History – USS Hornet leaving San Francisco Bay in 1942, with Jimmy Doolittle’s B-25s onboard

The USS Hornet (pictured in this lifelike painting)

left San Francisco Bay in 1942 with then Colonel

Jimmy Doolittle's 16 B-25s onboard, to conduct the

first strike against Japan's mainland in response to

the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid,

was an air raid on April 18, 1942 by the United

States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other

places on the main island of Honshu during World

War II. It was the first U.S. air operation to strike

the Japanese archipelago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_Raid

History – A7 Corsair documentary in HD (with Greek subtitles)

youtube.com

A7 CORSAIR documentary in HD (Greek subtitles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPfXRQw0_d4

Rusty Branum came across this documentary of

Vought planes, with much of it filmed at the Grand

Prairie plant. With the removal of plant buildings

and decommissioning of the NAVAL air station

next door, there may never be another airplane take-

off or landing. The Greek subtitles get in the way,

but still a great film...enjoy.

History – Vought A7 Corsair II Promotional Film

Vought A-7 Corsair II Promo Film

https://www.avgeekery.com/watch-this-vought-a-7-corsair-ii-promo-film-attempted-to-make-mighty-sluf-sexy/?fbclid=IwAR2eWSb78bje_9qWsGJDKzl9ZGdUtUCZHcpqlxjRwP6d2X_OADfV8-rjjoc

Rolfe Holkesvik forwarded this promotional film

produced by Vought, or Ling-Temco-Vought,

during the 1960s and 1970s.

In Memory of Bill Strother

(November 18, 1934 - October 21, 2019)

We are sad to report that Bill Strother, one of our

dedicated Vought retiree volunteers who served on

the Vought Retiree Club Executive Committee as

Director in charge of Materials and Sales and was in

charge of our memorabilia, has passed.

Billy Gene Strother (November 18, 1934 - October 21, 2019)

Longtime Cedar Hill, TX, resident, Billy Gene

Strother, 84, died peacefully on Monday, October

21, 2019, after an extended illness.

He was born on Sunday, November 18, 1934, in

Forest Hill, TX, to Phoebe E. (Wallace) Strother

(1915-1998) and F. B. Strother (1915-1960).

On Saturday, May 12, 1962, he married Eunice Nell

Bassett, who survives him.

Services will be held at the First United Methodist

Church, Cedar Hill, on Thursday, October 24, 2019,

at 10:30 a.m., with interment at Evergreen Cemetery

in Paris, TX.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 23,

2019 at Jaynes Memorial Chapel from 6:00 to 8:00

p.m. in Duncanville.

Strother was actively involved in his “adopted

hometown of Cedar Hill”. At the time of his death,

he was a Commissioner on the Planning & Zoning

Board of Cedar Hill, having served for 25 years in

that capacity. He served on other Boards over the

years, including but not limited to the Trustees of

First United Methodist Church where he was a

member, Cedar Hill Shares, and Bridges Safe

House.

He grew up in Lamar County, graduated from Paris

Junior College and East Texas State University

(now Texas A&M Commerce), and continued

graduate studies at the University of Dallas.

He then began his career with Vought/Northrop

Grumman, from which he retired in 1995 with more

than 38 years of service. He was actively involved

in the LTV Retiree Club as a Director in charge of

Materials and Sales, operating the club's retirement

store until recently.

He and Nell were members of the North Texas

Vintage Thunderbird Club, and enjoyed travel,

especially to their favorite destination, Santa Fe,

NM.

His concern for others stemmed from a lifelong

appreciation for the work of the Shriners, having

received care for years for a burn sustained as a

toddler. Bill recently received Grand Chapter and

Grand Council Sixty Year Service Awards for

Capitular and Cryptic Masonry in Texas.

As a young man, Strother joined the Big Brothers

organization, gaining a little brother, James Barclay.

In addition to his wife, survivors include sister-in-

law Martha Hickman, James Barclay and his wife,

Jennifer, many Strother and Wallace cousins, and a

host of friends.

In lieu of plants and flowers, memorials may be

made to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for

Children, 2222 Welborn Street, Dallas, TX

75219, or to the First United Methodist Church of

Cedar Hill, 128 Roberts Street, Cedar Hill, TX

75104. Jaynes Memorial Chapel

811 South Cockrell Hill Road; Duncanville, TX 75137 (972) 298-2334

- based on obituary published on the website

www.dallasnews.com, October 23-24, 2019.

In Memory of Don Higginbotham (April 4, 1934 - November 14, 2019)

Don Higginbotham, a stalwart of Chance Vought,

LTV, Texas Trust Credit Union, and the Vought

Retiree Club, has passed.

Don was a Vought and LTV legend, dedicated to all

things Vought – 39 years of service to Chance

Vought and LTV, President of the LTV

Management Association in 1976, President of the

Vought Retirees Club for four years, 43 years as a

Board member and 7 years as Board President for

the Vought Credit Union (now Texas Trust Credit

Union).

Donald Ray Higginbotham

(April 4, 1934 - November 14, 2019)

Donald Ray Higginbotham, 85, went to be with our

Lord and Savior on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Memorial Service: 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November

22, 2019 at First Baptist Church, 301 S. Center

Street, Arlington, Texas 76010.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family is asking

that donations be made in Don’s honor to The

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at

www.themmrf.org, or mail donations to Multiple

Myeloma Research Foundation, P.O. Box 414238,

Boston, MA 02241-4238.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 62 years,

Charlotte Lamanda Higginbotham (on September

18, 2017), his parents Grady (on March 9, 1986)

and Gladys Higginbotham (on September 1, 1990),

his sister Betty Goodwin, his brother Ross

Higginbotham, and his beloved grandson, Tevin

Wayne Cates (on October 7, 2019).

Don was born on Wednesday, April 4, 1934 in a

house in Maud, Texas. After many childhood years

in Maud, his family moved to New Boston, Texas,

and ultimately landed in Texarkana, Texas.

In 1951, while attending Arkansas High, he met

Lamanda at a church hayride as she was attending

the rival Texas High. The two dated even as Don

moved to Dallas to secure work after college. Don

and Lamanda were married on Saturday, September

10, 1955 in Texarkana, Texas.

In October 1954, Don began what would be a 39-

year career at Chance Vought Aircraft. Starting in

their Plant Layout Department, he ultimately

became Manager of Government Facilities, took a

short jump over as Environmental Manager, and

back to Facilities until he retired. While working at

Vought, Don worked hard in night school to secure

his BBA in Management from TCU, which he

completed in 1967.

In 1976, Don became a volunteer as a Board

member for the Vought Credit Union, which is now

Texas Trust Credit Union. During his 43 years as a

Board member, he made his dearest friends and

loved serving the Credit Union. Even during the last

year, when he was unable to make a meeting, Don

would listen in by phone. He still wanted to be part

of the organization that meant so much to him. Don

served as Board president for seven years, was

President of the LTV Management Association at

Vought in 1976, and he was President of the Vought

Retiree Club for four years.

(Don’s wife Lamanda also worked for LTV, as a

chartist, and was often commended for her

impeccable drafting skills.)

Of all his accomplishments at work, Don was most

proud of his children and his grandchildren. David,

Darrel, Duane, and Donna kept Don busy as he

acted as Boy Scout leader, coach, biggest supporter,

and taxi driver to their many activities. Once the

grandkids were born, Don’s retirement allowed him

numerous opportunities to take the grandkids for

“park days” where they would go to 4-5 different

city parks in one day as well as many other fun

activities.

Don and Lamanda loved to travel, and the fact that

they never had a honeymoon was well made up for

in their numerous trips. Bahamas, Banff, Canada,

New York, and San Francisco were just a few of

their trips, but Las Vegas seemed to be their favorite

spot. Don loved playing poker, and he’d play for

hours while Lamanda stayed on the penny or nickel

slots.

Don expanded his community involvement when in

2001 he ran for mayor of Arlington. He secured

28% of the vote, even though he spent less than

$300 on his campaign. Don wasn’t necessarily

interested in being mayor, he just wanted to make

sure that community issues were debated during the

election.

Don was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in

January 2006. Given just 4 years to live, Don

embraced every treatment option and received a

stem cell transplant that helped him stay in

remission for over 7 years. He still took trips, was

an active husband, father, and granddad, and never

let the serious chemo treatments and infusions keep

him down. In 2019, Don was diagnosed with

melanoma and multi-dysplasia syndrome, which

continued to take a toll on his body. Even the last

weeks of his life, he was telling stories, asking how

his family was doing, and asking for hugs from his

visitors.

Don is survived by his sons Charles David, Darrel

Alan, Duane Keith and daughter-law Carla, and his

daughter Donna Lea Cates; his grandchildren --

Baylee, Dylan, Ally, and Taryn; his brothers -- Paul,

Larry, and Lewis; and his sister, Jan; as well as his

family, Sue and Charles Nutt and numerous friends. Wade Family Funeral Home

4140 W. Pioneer Parkway

Arlington, TX 76013 817-274-9233

- based on obituary posted on the website of Wade

Family Funeral Home.

Editor’s Note:

In our newsletter of last quarter, we reported that

Tevin Cates, beloved grandson of Don

Higginbotham, passed on Monday, October 7, 2019.

Many people in the Vought Retiree Club had seen

Tevin act in plays that the Club members attended

at the Artisan Theater in Hurst, Texas.

December 17, 2019 -- Vought Heritage Foundation Restoration Volunteers

Vought Retiree Club

5840 W I-20, Suite #280

Arlington, TX 76017-1098

Officers: Directors:

President – Larry Skinner Activities – Pat Patterson

1st Vice President – Karen Sauls Annual Meeting – Karen Sauls

2nd Vice President – Gaye Kortegast Support Assistant – Sue Nutt

Treasurer – Madie Vernon Support Assistant – Leroy Buchanan

Secretary – Vynita Hutson Mailing – Bob Snegon

Sergeant-at-Arms – Wat Watkins Newsletter and Publicity – Bob Bardo

Newsletter Editor Emeritus – Connie Singleton

Veterans’ Advocate – Gene Cates

Volunteer Programs – Johnnie Johnson

Technical Support and Website* – Roger Stites

Call the Club at (817) 478-1885 President, Vought Heritage Foundation – Cathie

Barrington

Email: retireeclub@vought.org V.P. - Membership Assistant – Ann Christmas membershiprc@vought.org

*Vought Heritage Website: www.vought.org

Retirees, call the “Benefits Center” toll free 1-800-577-2145 with all your questions on retiree benefits.

Printing services provided by Texas Trust Credit Union.

First Class US Postage Paid Arlington, TX Permit No. 295

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Volunteer Programs – Johnnie Johnson

Technical Support and Website* – Roger Stites

Call the Club at (817) 478-

1885 Chairman of Major Programs – Jim Hill

Email: retireeclub@vought.org V.P. - Membership Assistant – Ann Christmas membershiprc@vought.org

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