Obituaries

October 27, 1948 to June 22, 2012

WOOSTER, OHIO - Richard Lee Lambert, 63, of Wooster, died Friday June 22, in a plane accident near Morgantown, West Virginia.

Richard ("Dick", "Dickie", "Rich", "Rick") was born Oct. 27, 1948 in Winamac, to Ernest Clifford and Hilda Faye (Roller) Mays. His father died when Richard was nine months old, and he was later adopted by his stepfather Chester Lambert for his 12th birthday. He married Sharon Stout on Sept. 1, 1968, in Plainfield. She survives.

Also surviving are daughters Tina Lambert, of Irving, TX, and Dr. Lisa (Sean) Kaiser of Beavercreek, OH; grandsons Emerson and Benjamin Kaiser; mother Faye, of Lawrenceville, GA; sister Diana (Mark) Podorsky of Winamac; two nieces, one nephew, one great-niece, and one great-nephew.

He was preceded in death by his fathers, and some of his favorite aunts and uncles.

Mr. Lambert graduated from North Judson High School in 1966 and attended Purdue University for two years. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army in order to pursue his passion of flying helicopters and airplanes. He was a Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) helicopter pilot in the 1st Calvary Airborne Division during Vietnam, where he earned multiple awards and honors, including three Distinguished Flying Cross medals.

He met his wife Sharon Stout on a 4-H People to People tour of Europe and Russia in 1966 where they had their first date in Munich, Germany. After his military service, he continued a career in aviation. He started his own commuter airline in Pennsylvania, and later founded Lambert Aviation with his wife. He was a flight instructor, charter pilot, and corporate pilot for multiple companies and individuals including Rayco Manufacturing, Gerstenslager's, Al Klaben, Aviation Training Management (ATM), and various companies owned by Rick Osborne. He could fly anything. Lambert was also a dreamer with many ideas, who went on to co-develop a mobile heli-pad with his pilot friend Duane Steiner. He was a teller of puns and jokes and always had a smile on his face. He lived his life doing what he loved.

Friends may call from 12 noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday at Roberts Funeral Home-Sherwood Chapel, Wooster, Ohio. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m., (Wednesday, June 27), at the funeral home, where military rites will be held. A private burial will be at Sherwood Memorial Gardens at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to his family.