Robert E. “Bob” Dely, was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised for most of his early life in Bloomfield and West Orange, N.J., died on Thursday, July 17, 2025 in York County, Virginia, where he had lived since June 1974.
Bob joined the United States Air Force in July 1955, after graduation from West Orange High School. He first served as a radar-gunnery technician on B-47 aircraft in Plattsburgh, New York, but he was accepted for the AF Officer Candidate School at Lackland AFB, Texas in July 1961. He graduated in December 1961 as a USAF Lieutenant and was selected to attend USAF pilot training at Craig AFB, Alabama.
After graduation, Bob was first assigned as a student instructor pilot, and later for navigator training students at James Connally AFB in Waco, Texas and later at Mather AFB in Sacramento, California. In 1967, Bob was retrained to fly rescue helicopters in Viet Nam, where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and a number of Air Medals, as well as other awards for his performance there.
In 1971, Bob was accepted into a program to fly high altitude RB-57F reconnaissance missions from Yokota AB, Japan. There, he was picked to attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles for educational and technical training to become the unit’s Flying Safety Officer. In 1973, after the RB-57F mission in Japan was decommissioned, Bob was transferred to Fuchu Air Station in Tokyo, Japan as a Staff Operations Officer with Headquarters Fifth Air Force. Upon his return to the United States in 1974, Bob was assigned to Langley AFB, Virginia, where he assumed duty as the Air Base Group Chief of Safety. His operational duties at Langley AFB included flying T-39 aircraft to transport staff military and civilian personnel to and from various locations within the US.
Following his retirement as a USAF Major in July 1975, Bob attended Christopher Newport College in Newport News, Virginia, graduating summa cum laude in May 1977. Bob then attended the University Of Virginia Law School, graduating in May 1980, and thereafter practiced law as a partner with Patten and Wornom, a law firm in Newport News, Virginia. In 1988, he was selected to be a judicial hearing officer with the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, from which he retired in December 2002.
Bob is survived by his wife, Ladaria, whom he married on November 1, 1987; by his daughters, Adrienne Soule and Diana Behlmar (deceased) and her spouse Michael; by stepdaughter, Tamatha Kleppinger and stepson Steven Clemmons, and Steven’s spouse Christine. He also leaves grandchildren: Jessica Eldridge; Mikayla Behlmar; Connor Kleppinger; Kayleigh Dose and spouse Jarrod; Brooke Clemmons; Bryce Clemmons; and Shawn Clemmons; niece, Debbie Costello and her spouse Paul, and their children, Joseph Costello and spouse Lisa, and Michele Deremer and spouse Todd; as well as nephew, Stephen Dely and spouse Susie, and their children, Christopher and Brian. Bob also leaves Ladaria’s close North Carolina cousin, Linda, with whom he and Ladaria spent many pleasant visits.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 4:00 p.m., on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Weymouth Funeral Home in Newport News, VA with Full Military Honors.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Wounded Warrior Project.
