William Waldrop

William ""Aubrey"" Waldrop, born June 12, 1946, in Brevard, NC, Transylvania County, passed away June 11, 2009. He died unexpectedly while fishing near Patrick Air Force base. Aubrey was a graduate of Phoenix University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, served in the U.S. Army for 20 years as a Chief Warrant Officer. During his years of military service, he flew a Cobra helicopter in the Viet Nam War where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star for his bravery in combat. He served two tours of duty in Korea and one tour of duty in Germany. His love for flying at a young age compelled him to join the military to fight for what he believed in during the Viet Nam War. After retiring from the Army, he attained Captain status in piloting five fixed wing aircraft and two helicopters. He was an accomplished instructor in the military and had a total of 13,721.1 flight hours (4604.5 helicopter hours and 9116.6 multi-engine aircraft hours). He also had approximately 1000 of combat hours. For the past six years, he flew security for NASA. His passion for fishing and flying was evident by the way his face would light up. Anyone who knew Aubrey would recognize his special grin from a successful fishing trip or flight. Aubrey is survived by his wife, Maria (Concha); Kelli Godfrey and Kara Gold, daughters of Alyce Waldrop-Dolan; step-daughters Alejandra and Marisol; five grandchildren (Jeremy, Roman, Emily, Ryan and Miguel Angel) and one great-grandchild (Mia); three sisters, Lorna Booth of Louisville, GA, Robin Lust of Riverbank, CA, and Cheryl Romanow of Baltimore, MD; and seven nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by his father, Robert Butler Waldrop; mother, Kathryn Ruth Bispham Waldrop; step-father, Charles McAfee; sister, Louise Whitlock Roney; and, sister, Sally Kate Waldrop. A Memorial Service will be held Tueday, June 16, 2009 at the Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home Chapel in Viera Fl. Family will be receiving 2 hours prior to the service. Remembrances can be sent to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (www.pva.org) or the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org).