Frederick Hyre

Frederick Grove Hyre passed away on December 11th, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. He was born February 4, 1928 in Delaware, Ohio, to David and Pauline (Spence) Hyre. Fred grew up on his family’s farm and graduated from the nearby Hyatts High School. The Hyres valued education: Fred’s paternal grandmother was a school teacher, his paternal uncle was a teacher, principal, and superintendent, and his father served on the local school board, so it was important that Fred attend college. Fred enjoyed high school sports of all kinds and played on the All - County Basketball team. His love of basketball translated into a basketball scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University, where, unbeknownst to his kids, he also played football! Fate intervened in the form of a house fire, which required Fred to sit out a year of college. He transferred to Ohio State University, where he again played basketball. Fifty years after his college basketball career ended, he could still “shoot lights out from anywhere on the court” and beat his then twenty and thirty something sons in a pickup game of horse. Given his interest in sports and his family’s emphasis on education, Fred’s initial ambition was to teach and coach, but fate intervened again. The Korean War was under way and Fred was A-1 for the Army draft. While he wasn’t eager to serve in the Army, he did harbor a secret desire to be a pilot. When Fred heard that the Air Force ROTC was opening up two USAF pilot training slots for those qualified, he literally ran across the OSU campus to apply. He was accepted into the program, but the war ended shortly thereafter. As a result, there was a backlog of pilot training candidates, so Fred waited for two years for his commission to come through. During those two years, Fred attended law school at OSU and taught high school in Urbana, Ohio. Also while waiting for his commission, Fred married the “cute girl” he met in one of his education classes, Kathie Hyre. Kathie was game for just about anything, so when Fred chose the military over finishing law school, she was ready to see the world with their first son, David, in tow. They traveled to Marianna, Florida for primary pilot training, went on to Randolph Field, Texas for additional training, and were then stationed in Evreux, France. While in France, Fred started flying the new C-130, the “hot rod” of cargo planes. From his base in France, Fred flew throughout Western Europe, Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. Fred was eventually reassigned to Seward Airforce Base in Smyrna, Tennessee where he served as a flying instructor, senior pilot, and simulator instructor. While in Tennessee, Fred completed his master’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University and welcomed two more sons into the family, Eric and Randal. Next up was Naha, Okinawa, then Tachikawa, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand. Fred served as a flight examiner and flew 372 combat hours into South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As part of the final peace agreement in the Vietnam War, the USAF transferred 16 C-130 aircraft to the Southern Vietnamese Air Force and trained the aircrews on them. Fred was the training team chief responsible for training the Vietnam crew members. After their stint in Asia, Fred returned to the United States, with assignments at Lockbourne AFB (Columbus), Billy Mitchell Field AFB (Milwaukee), and Little Rock AFB (Little Rock). Fred accepted his final assignment as an instructor pilot and advisor to the Mansfield, Ohio Air National Guard. At the end of four years with the Ohio Air National Guard, Fred retired from the military as a Lieutenant Colonel, with nearly 10,000 hours of flying and 17 assignments/moves under his belt. After his 28-year career in the Air Force, Fred returned to the family farm for an additional 21 years. Initially, Fred and Kathie were snowbirds, living in Fort Myers during the winter and working during the summer months on the farm, then managing a farm stand, and eventually working with their middle son, Eric, at The Grove, a gourmet food market. When they finally did move to Florida full-time in 2001, Fred stayed active, serving on various boards and committees in his community and perfecting his golf game. Fred was preceded in death by Kathie, his wife of 69 years. He is survived by his 3 sons, David (Barbara), Eric, and Randal, his 3 grandchildren, Katie (Dan), Asher, and Elena, and countless friends from all over the world. He will be missed more than we can say. A memorial service is planned for the Spring.

Frederick Hyre

February 4, 1928 - December 11, 2023