Richard Francis Beal
August 12, 1944 - January 31, 2014
Retired First Sergeant Rick Beal, United States Air Force, was from Lisbon Falls, Maine. He joined the Air Force at 17 years old in 1962. Rick retired in 1986 while at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, from the 509th Munitions Squadron, part of the 509th Bomb Wing of 'Enola Gay' fame. During his nearly a quarter of century of service he served in South Vietnam as a reconnaissance aircraft mechanic and in Guam as a Strategic Air Command bomber mechanic for B-52's that participated in the "Linebacker" operations over North Vietnam.
After spending 17 years as a mechanic including assignments in Okinawa, New Mexico, and other locations, Rick became a first sergeant leading Airmen in the 97th Munitions Maintenance Squadron at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Rick then went to be a first sergeant in Alaska at King Salmon Air Force Station where in 1982 he met his wife Lana, from Glendale Arizona, who was also in the Air Force. After a short time together Rick was reassigned to Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. Lana Minton was reassigned back to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. After a few high phone bills, they realized they wanted to be together, so Lana worked to get reassigned to Pease with Rick. They got married February 10, 1983.
While in New Hampshire, it was his new wife's next assignment back to Alaska that prompted Rick to retire after 24 years of service and follow her career. So back to Alaska they went, this time to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks for 3 years. Rick, never able to shake his desire to serve the Air Force, worked as a contractor on the flight line of Eielson getting the planes and runways ready for action. Another move took the family to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California before Lana's last assignment brought them to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City in 1994.
Upon arriving in Oklahoma, Rick went back to work for the Air Force, this time as government civilian, at the jet engine shop at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center. Tech Sergeant Lana Beal retired in 1995, completing 20 years of service herself. Rick went on to finish 7 years of additional government service, and took an early second retirement as part of the center's downsizing. A couple of years later, never forgetting his jet roots, Rick went back to work as a contractor repairing F-16 Fighting Falcon engines.
It was during this time he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2011. Rick retired a final time to put all his efforts into his treatment and to be with his wife. Not more than one month later, tragedy struck again as the Beal home was one of more than a dozen destroyed in a wildfire. The Air Force stepped up to help the family letting him stay in temporary housing until the found a new home in Choctaw. The Air Force and Rick, were never far apart from each other.
Rick also was a lifelong Ford fanatic and today more than dozen classic Ford and Mercury cars and trucks are in his collection. Among the cars are two 1965 Ford Fairlane 500's, 1962 and 1966 Ford Falcons, 1963 Mercury Comet, 1972 Ford Ranchero, 1978 Ford Bronco, multiple 1959 and 1966 Ford trucks and others.
Rick's family includes his wife, Lana, his daughter, Jody, and son, Ricky, his five grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephen, Brandy, Ricky and Clay, and his sister, Lynn, and brother, Guy.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at Sunny Lane Chapel, Del City, Oklahoma.
(Published by Sunny Lane Funeral Home | Sunny Lane Cemetery, February 3, 2014)
August 12, 1944 - January 31, 2014
Retired First Sergeant Rick Beal, United States Air Force, was from Lisbon Falls, Maine. He joined the Air Force at 17 years old in 1962. Rick retired in 1986 while at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, from the 509th Munitions Squadron, part of the 509th Bomb Wing of 'Enola Gay' fame. During his nearly a quarter of century of service he served in South Vietnam as a reconnaissance aircraft mechanic and in Guam as a Strategic Air Command bomber mechanic for B-52's that participated in the "Linebacker" operations over North Vietnam.
After spending 17 years as a mechanic including assignments in Okinawa, New Mexico, and other locations, Rick became a first sergeant leading Airmen in the 97th Munitions Maintenance Squadron at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Rick then went to be a first sergeant in Alaska at King Salmon Air Force Station where in 1982 he met his wife Lana, from Glendale Arizona, who was also in the Air Force. After a short time together Rick was reassigned to Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. Lana Minton was reassigned back to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. After a few high phone bills, they realized they wanted to be together, so Lana worked to get reassigned to Pease with Rick. They got married February 10, 1983.
While in New Hampshire, it was his new wife's next assignment back to Alaska that prompted Rick to retire after 24 years of service and follow her career. So back to Alaska they went, this time to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks for 3 years. Rick, never able to shake his desire to serve the Air Force, worked as a contractor on the flight line of Eielson getting the planes and runways ready for action. Another move took the family to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California before Lana's last assignment brought them to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City in 1994.
Upon arriving in Oklahoma, Rick went back to work for the Air Force, this time as government civilian, at the jet engine shop at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center. Tech Sergeant Lana Beal retired in 1995, completing 20 years of service herself. Rick went on to finish 7 years of additional government service, and took an early second retirement as part of the center's downsizing. A couple of years later, never forgetting his jet roots, Rick went back to work as a contractor repairing F-16 Fighting Falcon engines.
It was during this time he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2011. Rick retired a final time to put all his efforts into his treatment and to be with his wife. Not more than one month later, tragedy struck again as the Beal home was one of more than a dozen destroyed in a wildfire. The Air Force stepped up to help the family letting him stay in temporary housing until the found a new home in Choctaw. The Air Force and Rick, were never far apart from each other.
Rick also was a lifelong Ford fanatic and today more than dozen classic Ford and Mercury cars and trucks are in his collection. Among the cars are two 1965 Ford Fairlane 500's, 1962 and 1966 Ford Falcons, 1963 Mercury Comet, 1972 Ford Ranchero, 1978 Ford Bronco, multiple 1959 and 1966 Ford trucks and others.
Rick's family includes his wife, Lana, his daughter, Jody, and son, Ricky, his five grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephen, Brandy, Ricky and Clay, and his sister, Lynn, and brother, Guy.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at Sunny Lane Chapel, Del City, Oklahoma.
(Published by Sunny Lane Funeral Home | Sunny Lane Cemetery, February 3, 2014)
Richard Francis Beal
August 12, 1944 - January 31, 2014
Retired First Sergeant Rick Beal, United States Air Force, was from Lisbon Falls, Maine. He joined the Air Force at 17 years old in 1962. Rick retired in 1986 while at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, from the 509th Munitions Squadron, part of the 509th Bomb Wing of 'Enola Gay' fame. During his nearly a quarter of century of service he served in South Vietnam as a reconnaissance aircraft mechanic and in Guam as a Strategic Air Command bomber mechanic for B-52's that participated in the "Linebacker" operations over North Vietnam.
After spending 17 years as a mechanic including assignments in Okinawa, New Mexico, and other locations, Rick became a first sergeant leading Airmen in the 97th Munitions Maintenance Squadron at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Rick then went to be a first sergeant in Alaska at King Salmon Air Force Station where in 1982 he met his wife Lana, from Glendale Arizona, who was also in the Air Force. After a short time together Rick was reassigned to Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. Lana Minton was reassigned back to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. After a few high phone bills, they realized they wanted to be together, so Lana worked to get reassigned to Pease with Rick. They got married February 10, 1983.
While in New Hampshire, it was his new wife's next assignment back to Alaska that prompted Rick to retire after 24 years of service and follow her career. So back to Alaska they went, this time to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks for 3 years. Rick, never able to shake his desire to serve the Air Force, worked as a contractor on the flight line of Eielson getting the planes and runways ready for action. Another move took the family to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California before Lana's last assignment brought them to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City in 1994.
Upon arriving in Oklahoma, Rick went back to work for the Air Force, this time as government civilian, at the jet engine shop at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center. Tech Sergeant Lana Beal retired in 1995, completing 20 years of service herself. Rick went on to finish 7 years of additional government service, and took an early second retirement as part of the center's downsizing. A couple of years later, never forgetting his jet roots, Rick went back to work as a contractor repairing F-16 Fighting Falcon engines.
It was during this time he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2011. Rick retired a final time to put all his efforts into his treatment and to be with his wife. Not more than one month later, tragedy struck again as the Beal home was one of more than a dozen destroyed in a wildfire. The Air Force stepped up to help the family letting him stay in temporary housing until the found a new home in Choctaw. The Air Force and Rick, were never far apart from each other.
Rick also was a lifelong Ford fanatic and today more than dozen classic Ford and Mercury cars and trucks are in his collection. Among the cars are two 1965 Ford Fairlane 500's, 1962 and 1966 Ford Falcons, 1963 Mercury Comet, 1972 Ford Ranchero, 1978 Ford Bronco, multiple 1959 and 1966 Ford trucks and others.
Rick's family includes his wife, Lana, his daughter, Jody, and son, Ricky, his five grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephen, Brandy, Ricky and Clay, and his sister, Lynn, and brother, Guy.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at Sunny Lane Chapel, Del City, Oklahoma.
(Published by Sunny Lane Funeral Home | Sunny Lane Cemetery, February 3, 2014)
August 12, 1944 - January 31, 2014
Retired First Sergeant Rick Beal, United States Air Force, was from Lisbon Falls, Maine. He joined the Air Force at 17 years old in 1962. Rick retired in 1986 while at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, from the 509th Munitions Squadron, part of the 509th Bomb Wing of 'Enola Gay' fame. During his nearly a quarter of century of service he served in South Vietnam as a reconnaissance aircraft mechanic and in Guam as a Strategic Air Command bomber mechanic for B-52's that participated in the "Linebacker" operations over North Vietnam.
After spending 17 years as a mechanic including assignments in Okinawa, New Mexico, and other locations, Rick became a first sergeant leading Airmen in the 97th Munitions Maintenance Squadron at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Rick then went to be a first sergeant in Alaska at King Salmon Air Force Station where in 1982 he met his wife Lana, from Glendale Arizona, who was also in the Air Force. After a short time together Rick was reassigned to Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire. Lana Minton was reassigned back to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. After a few high phone bills, they realized they wanted to be together, so Lana worked to get reassigned to Pease with Rick. They got married February 10, 1983.
While in New Hampshire, it was his new wife's next assignment back to Alaska that prompted Rick to retire after 24 years of service and follow her career. So back to Alaska they went, this time to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks for 3 years. Rick, never able to shake his desire to serve the Air Force, worked as a contractor on the flight line of Eielson getting the planes and runways ready for action. Another move took the family to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California before Lana's last assignment brought them to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City in 1994.
Upon arriving in Oklahoma, Rick went back to work for the Air Force, this time as government civilian, at the jet engine shop at the Oklahoma Air Logistics Center. Tech Sergeant Lana Beal retired in 1995, completing 20 years of service herself. Rick went on to finish 7 years of additional government service, and took an early second retirement as part of the center's downsizing. A couple of years later, never forgetting his jet roots, Rick went back to work as a contractor repairing F-16 Fighting Falcon engines.
It was during this time he was diagnosed with cancer in February 2011. Rick retired a final time to put all his efforts into his treatment and to be with his wife. Not more than one month later, tragedy struck again as the Beal home was one of more than a dozen destroyed in a wildfire. The Air Force stepped up to help the family letting him stay in temporary housing until the found a new home in Choctaw. The Air Force and Rick, were never far apart from each other.
Rick also was a lifelong Ford fanatic and today more than dozen classic Ford and Mercury cars and trucks are in his collection. Among the cars are two 1965 Ford Fairlane 500's, 1962 and 1966 Ford Falcons, 1963 Mercury Comet, 1972 Ford Ranchero, 1978 Ford Bronco, multiple 1959 and 1966 Ford trucks and others.
Rick's family includes his wife, Lana, his daughter, Jody, and son, Ricky, his five grandchildren, Jennifer, Stephen, Brandy, Ricky and Clay, and his sister, Lynn, and brother, Guy.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at Sunny Lane Chapel, Del City, Oklahoma.
(Published by Sunny Lane Funeral Home | Sunny Lane Cemetery, February 3, 2014)
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