Dr. Kenneth Nolde, Ph.D, Major, USAF Ret., died Saturday 6 Aug 2016 after a brief and unexpected illness. Ken was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 7, 1938.

His family moved to Long Island, NY where he attended Malverne High School until he joined the Air Force in 1955 and was sent to Korea. Ken was an Air Traffic Controller who became the youngest shift supervisor/controller in country.  In 1961 he became a Navigator at Harlingen AFB. He flew B-52s at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico, where he met the love of his life, Nancy Findley. After marrying in 1966, Ken and Nancy went to Bangor AFB for his last SAC (Strategic Air Command) tour.  In 1967 he was transferred to Recce (Reconnaissance) from SAC and flew in RF-4Cs, which are aircraft that photographed and surveyed the landscape instead of shooting weapons, for the rest of his Air Force career. He flew missions over Laos and North Vietnam while at Udorn and Kadena during the Vietnam War. Ken was then transferred to Alconbury AFB in England. Ken spent thousands of hours flying all over Europe in his favorite airplane the F-4 and was considered by many a great navigator who could find his way home from anywhere and was always ready to go.

In 1976 he retired from the Air Force and pursued a Ph.D in International Relations with a focus on Latin America at the University of Miami, which he earned in 1980. Ken then returned to government service as a civilian at the Defense Intelligence Agency, where he was instrumental in improving US/Central American relations at a critical period in our history. He also spent time as a briefer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, graduated from the Naval War College as a Civilian and even was sent to CENTCOM (Central Command) in Tampa; as the focus of our foreign policy shifted from Central America, to the Middle East. Ken was deeply and justifiably proud of his years of service to this nation.

He never lost his love of flying and spent years as an active pilot and small plane enthusiast, owning a Piper Cherokee and a Flight Design CTLS in turn. Flying was only second to his love for his family who are still unsure how to manage without him.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Nancy (Findley); his daughter, Kathleen (Patrick) Martin; his son, Kevin (Jill) Nolde; his four grandsons, Kevin, Zachariah and Trey Nolde and Henry Martin; his sisters, Patricia Dougherty, Jane Smith, Evelyn Nolde and Mary Ellen Pratt; and his brother, William Nolde and cousin Eva Dolan.

Ken was preceded in death by his father, Laurence; his mother, Evelyn Stolworthy and his younger brother, Lawrence.

A Memorial Mass will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Pensacola, FL at 11 am, Saturday, September 17, 2016.

Graveside Service will be held 9:00am Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Explorers Program. www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-education-and-resources/eaa-youth-education/eaa-young-eagles-program