The flight plan for Howard Hughes Oakley was closed on Sunday, July 7, 2024. He had achieved the age of 92 years and completed thirty years’ service in the United States Army, obtaining the rank of full colonel in the mid1970s and retiring from Fort Monroe, Virginia in 1985.
Born in Martinsville, Virginia, he was the only son of Jesse and Effie Oakley and graduated from Virginia Tech in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Upon entering his home, it was clear that he continued to be an ardent Hokie. But most importantly, he was the husband of Kay for 69 years, 11 months and 3 days. Their union resulted in five children: Mary Howell (Greg), Martha Ansotigue (deceased in 2012), Miriam Bryant (John), Melissa Simpson (Pat) and Michael Oakley (Jen) as well as eight grandchildren (Gabe Howell, Matt Howell, Mark Manning, Jesse Ansotigue (Samantha), Katie Manning, Scott Simpson, Maddie Oakley and Emma Oakley) and one great grandson (Logan Howell).
Colonel Oakley’s resume shows that he selected aviation as his specialty when he went Regular Army from the Reserves in 1957. His wings took him up and down the eastern portion of the United States and to Korea, Germany, Vietnam and Turkey and he appreciated seeing the world from the perspective of the clouds. His career provided him an opportunity to work in a fast-moving environment, to collaborate with other branches of the service (primarily the Navy), to instruct other pilots, to problem solve and to always enjoy the camaraderie of the other pilots and crew. He flew both fixed wing and rotary wing.
In the mid-sixties, he did some test flying of aircraft being overhauled from Vietnam and other areas, always ensuring that the lead mechanic accompanied him on the flight for quality control. He flew challenging missions in wartime. In one instance, he participated in a team to get vital communications equipment code settings to a destroyer off the coast of Vietnam. Flying the Huey helicopter was not a problem, but matching the chopper’s altitude with the changing pitch of the destroyer was another issue altogether. The success of this mission significantly reduced the time required to get this information into the right hands.
There were many other facets to Howard beyond his military career. He was a member of the King of Glory Lutheran Church and a 14-year resident of Patriot’s Colony. Howard was a gifted horticulturist who enjoyed coordinating the community garden for many years and was known for his large collection of beautiful orchids. He had a playfulness that emerged from time to time as demonstrated by his selection of Christmas gifts for the men of the family, his banter with his grandchildren and even through his facial expressions while in the care of the convalescent center. He made his own vanilla and appreciated a homegrown tomato sandwich. In those unfortunate and numerous situations when Tech beat Virginia in football, his progeny who were Virginia alums could count on a simple voicemail message “gobble, gobble.”
In short, his was a life well-lived and a model for all of us. He will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Howard’s life will be held in the Patriot’s Colony Grand Hall (6000 Patriot’s Colony Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23188) on Monday, July 22nd at 2 p.m. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be coordinated on a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, the Disabled Veterans of America (DAV) or the charity of your choice.
The family appreciates the compassionate care provided by a long list of medical professionals and the outpouring of support, especially from the Patriot’s Colony residents and staff.
