Gone But Not Forgotten

Honoring fallen comrades is an important part of the AOG mission and we ask to be notified as soon as possible of the death of any graduate, Air Training Officer or cadet so that we can take appropriate actions. The AOG has learned of the following deaths within the past 90 days.

For best results, try searching by Last Name (e.g. Smith), Class Year (e.g. 1959), or Cadet Squadron (e.g. CS-01). More complex searches may not return desired results.

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Col (Ret) John Stover - Class of 1961 , CS-17

Deceased on October 21, 2024 - Informed on November 6, 2024

Please contact the Association Graduates for condolence information. Memorial service: 1100 hours on 16 November 2024, at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Interment will take place at the USAFA cemetery at a later date. Memorial donation: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley https://www.hov.org/donate/. Obituary: https://www.azcentral.com/obituaries/pazs0988808

Mr. Thomas Schlechte - Class of 1960 , CS-02

Deceased on September 18, 2022 - Informed on November 6, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Service details: A private family service was held. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Sts. Mary and John Parish, 613 Cherry St., Evansville, IN 47713 or Monastery of St. Clare, 6825 Nurrenbern Road, Evansville, IN 47712. Obituary: https://www.browningfuneral.com/obituaries/Thomas-Tom-Walter-Schlechte?obId=25915442

Reverend David Jareo - Class of 1976 , CS-01

Deceased on October 23, 2024 - Informed on November 5, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Celebration of Life: 1000 hours on 11 Nov 2024, at Heritage Hill Church of the Nazarene, 6909 Cornhusker Rd, Papillion, NE 68133 Interment: Will be held at a later date at the Omaha National Cemetery with full military honors. Memorial donations: I lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, https://www.churchteams.com/m/Give.asp?oID=15364&aID=V2tTRHQwdGNCTW5LbzFlQXpYSUIrSldIUmVNUTFPWFA%3D. Obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/papillion-ne/david-jareo-12043930

Lt Col (Ret) Christopher Soto - Class of 1975 , CS-23

Deceased on October 16, 2024 - Informed on October 30, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Service detail: 1000 hours on 4 November 2024 at First Baptist Church of Woodbridge, 13600 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, VA 22193. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the charity of your choice. Obituary: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/33562542/christopher-c-soto

Col (Ret) George Greaves

Deceased on September 22, 2024 - Informed on October 29, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. A service will be held in early spring 2025 at the USAFA Cemetery. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to DAV: Diabled American Veterans at https://help.dav.org/page/66135/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=davweb_mainbutton&en_txn6=F24FN006AADVAA&utm_campaign=fund&utm_medium=mainweb&utm_source=dav&utm_content=redbutton_camptemp&_gl=1*16c8qfk*_gcl_au*MTk4MDMyNTA0NC4xNzMwMjI0MjA5*_ga*NjA5NzU2MTQ4LjE3MzAyMjQyMTA.*_ga_1NLNFTWZTF*MTczMDIyNDIwOS4xLjAuMTczMDIyNDIwOS42MC4wLjA.

Lt Col (Ret) Steven Eszenyi - Class of 1965 , CS-03

Deceased on July 15, 2024 - Informed on October 29, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Service details: A private service was held for the family. Obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/surprise-az/steven-eszenyi-11900731

Mr. Alexander Thomas - Class of 2002 , CS-27

Deceased on October 20, 2024 - Informed on October 24, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Memorial service: 1430 hours on 24 October 2024 at Saint Margaret's Episcopal Church, 8515 Rea Rd., Waxhaw, NC 28173. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, https://themmrf.org/ or to the National Kidney Foundation, https://www.kidney.org/?campaign=497078. Obituary: https://www.throbertson.com/obituaries/Alexander-Paul-Thomas?obId=33498086#/obituaryInfo

Mr. Joseph Hoyle - Class of 1974 , CS-36

Deceased on September 27, 2024 - Informed on October 24, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Celebration of Life: 1400 hours on 19 October 2024 at David Baptist Church, 2300 David Baptist Church Rd, Kings Mountain, NC 28086. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Joni and Friends North Carolina, 616-A Matthew's-Mint Hill Rd., Matthews, NC 28105 (or online at www.joniandfriends.org/north-carolina/), and Wake the World, 339 Legend Dr., Asheboro, NC 27205 (or via Venmo: @wake-the-world). Obituary: https://www.shelbystar.com/obituaries/pwlm0962609

Lt Col (Ret) Gary Horowitz - Class of 1974 , CS-37

Deceased on October 17, 2023 - Informed on October 24, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Graveside service: 1300 hours on 22 October 2023 at United Hebrew Cemetery, 7855 Canton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63130. Memorial donations: In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Samburu Project, https://thesamburuproject.org/. Obituary: https://www.rindskopfroth.com/obituary/gary-horowtiz-md

Col (Ret) Gerald Carpenter - Class of 1970 , CS-08

Deceased on September 11, 2024 - Informed on October 23, 2024

Please contact the Association of Graduates for condolence information. Visitation: 1600 hours on 25 September 2024 at Palm Mortuary-Eastern, 7600 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89123. Funeral Service: 1320 hours on 27 September 2024 at Southern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Dr., Boulder City, NV 89005. Obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/las-vegas-nv/gerald-carpenter-11985401

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Next of Kin

For Next of Kin support resources please visit: https://www.usafanextofkin.org/

Frequently Asked Questions

Gone But Not Forgotten Annual Publication

The Air Force Academy Association and Foundation are introducing a new benefit to better memorialize USAFA graduates and support their families. We are launching a new annual memorial publication in 2025.

A: As the Academy graduate population ages, Checkpoints is increasingly insufficient in accommodating the increasing number of obituaries. This has necessitated the creation of a new publication as part of our commitment to remembering all fallen graduates, Air Training Officers and cadets.
A: The purpose of the publication is to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the Long Blue Line through the personal stories of our graduates. The publication is in the spirit of our mission to support the Academy, serve graduates and preserve the heritage of the institution.
A: Gone But Not Forgotten will be part of the final name, which is not yet finalized.
A: No, but the Association will list basic information on deaths in each issue of Checkpoints.
A: No. If/when memorial articles are sent to the AOG, the tribute is posted to this webpage.
A: A complimentary copy will be mailed to a loved one of the deceased. It is not yet determined if the printed publication will be available at a nominal cost or at no cost to AOG members.
A: There will be a one-year transition period. Memorial articles sent in to run in Checkpoints in 2024 will also appear in the inaugural memorial publication. The deadline for Gone But Not Forgotten submissions in the December 2024 issue of Checkpoints is mid-October, but any memorial articles about deaths for the remainder of 2024 received by mid-January 2025 will appear in the inaugural 2025 stand-alone publication. Then going forward, the full years’ worth of tributes would be published in the next year’s volume.
A: The first memorial publication will likely be printed in February or March of 2025.
A: We currently have a 400-word maximum for each memorial tribute and will continue with that limit for the first stand-alone publication. We’re doing this because we have already received submissions at that length and don’t plan to ask for longer versions for the 2025 edition.
A: We will transition to roughly 450- or 900-word options for memorial tributes. Whoever writes and submits the memorial article will have the option to write to either word limit.
A: A recent favorite photo of the deceased, when possible. The photo (head and shoulders, color preferred) should be emailed as a .jpg and sent as a high-resolution image.
A: Please email Next-of-Kin Support Specialist Terri Davis at deceasednotifications@usafa.org.
A: That is coming soon.
A: Please reach out to David Bitton, assistant director of strategic communications and publications, at 719-247-8745 or use our Contact Form.

Gone But Not Forgotten