Richard Ames

Edgar Richard Ames, age 85, of Bozeman, Montana passed away at his home on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Richard, known as Dick, was born on September 2, 1924 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Henry and Lucille (Gillette) Ames. He was raised in Kansas, where he graduated high school. He saved and borrowed enough money to buy a full size airplane at the age of 15. To continue his career and love of aerospace, Dick moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and became Honor man at the Spartan School of Aeronautics. He served two tours of Duty in the Naval Air; the first in World War II and the second in the Korean War at Alameda Naval Air Station. After World War II, he returned to Spartan School of Aeronautics and taught propellers and engines until the Aerospace programs started in Denver. He worked for Lockheed Martin, California and NASA until 1964 as an Aerospace Engineer Associate. Dick married Jane Thorburn Kerr from Musselburgh, Scotland in 1949. They met at the Young Peoples dinner at the First Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary on December 19, 2009. Dick and Jane came to Bozeman in 1974 and travelled five states as sales representatives until 1995. In retirement, Dick loved to build and fly model aeroplanes. Survivors are his wife, Jane, cousins, and good friends. No services are planned at this time.