Obituaries

Stanley Mitchell Reddicks, 88, died Feb. 19 at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colo., from injuries sustained in a fall Feb. 18.

He was born Oct. 10, 1920, in Maud, Ky., the son of Hollie and Ethel (Royalty) Reddicks, and reared in DeKalb, Ill.

During World War II, he was accepted as a cadet in the Army Air Corps before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He completed bombardier training and bombardier instructor training in Texas. Following training he was assigned as a combat aircrew member on the B-24 Liberator Heavy Bomber.

His unit departed for the allied bomber base near Lecce, Italy. His unit the 345th Bomb Squadron was part of the 98th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force. From Lecce, he flew combat missions over Axis Powers targets in northern Italy, southern France, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Romania. These included major bombing raids against the Nazi-held oil fields of Ploesti (Romania) and Bratislava (Czechoslovakia).

While stationed at Midland AAB, Stan met and married Audrey Gwendolyn Ray, an Army nurse, at the Brooke Army Hospital Chapel at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on May 24, 1945. After their discharge from military service, they moved to Moline, Ill., where Stan worked for Bell Telephone Company. He was later transferred with Bell Telephone to Mississippi, where he reentered military service at Biloxi Air Force Base. Their son Thomas was born in Salina, Kan., in 1948.

He served at several USAF bases in United Kingdom; Scott AFB, Ill.; Lockbourne AFB, Ohio; Barksdale AFB, La.; Nagoya AFB, Japan; Kadena AFB, Okinawa, and with the Air Force Recruiting Service in Phoenix. Stan's final military assignment, before retiring as a major in 1968 was at James Connally AFB in Waco, Texas. Stan was a dedicated soldier and patriot who immensely enjoyed military service.

Following his military retirement, he took advantage of his skills as a manager, administrator and leader to work for 10 years as a hotel manager in Memphis, Tenn., New Orleans and the Remuda Ranch Resort in Collier County, Fla. Stan's final 10 years before civilian retirement in November 1985 was as a senior manager of New Orleans City Park, one of the largest urban parks in America.

Stan and Audrey relocated to Wheatland in April 1995 to be near their son Tom and wife Theresa. Audrey died in August 2004.

In November 2002, Stan was elected as a Platte County Senior Citizen Service District Trustee. Through the years, Stan has also been affiliated with the Loyal Order of Moose, Military Officers Association of America, Air Force Association and was active in the Wheatland Lions Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

Stan married Marian Wing Elmquist on April 15, 2006, at Wheatland United Methodist Church, where both were actively involved and sang in the choir.

Love of his country, friends and family was the capstone of Stan's life.

He is survived by his wife, Marian; son, Tom Reddicks, and wife, Theresa, all of Wheatland; daughter Amber Costa and husband Nicholas of Redlands, Calif.; six grandchildren: Tracie (Travis) Massey of San Antonio, Texas, Tommy (Kelly) Reddicks of Brighton, Colo., George (Barbara) Reddicks of Wheatland, Bill Reddicks of Cheyenne, Nicole (Fred) George of Douglas and Susan (Jamie) Cortz of Redlands; and 10 great-grandchildren.

A memorial will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Wheatland United Methodist Church with Pastor Skip Perry officiating. Inurnment with military rites accorded will be in the Wheatland Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Wheatland United Methodist Church, 909 9th St., Wheatland, WY 82201, or Platte Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) P.O. Box 1501, Wheatland, WY 82201.

Gorman Funeral Homes - Platte Chapel of Wheatland is in charge of the arrangements.

This is a paid obituary.