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In Memoriam - Ron Gunther


Ronald D. Gunther was born the same year as me in 1947 and died on August 25, 2009 after battling serious illnesses. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan and served in the U. S. Army as a Cobra helicopter pilot in Viet Nam during the war. After the Army he graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in Melbourne, Florida. He kept his FAA helicopter pilot license active and flew chartered helicopters for years after his Army service.

I first met Ron in the mid 1970's when he was working for HNTB as a consultant to the airport and studying some issues affecting Airside Operations. I also had more than a few drinks with him at Bryson's Irish Pub in Virginia Gardens, among other places off-airport, over time and he was definitely one of the smartest guys I have ever met.

Metro-Dade County Aviation Director Dick Judy (news articles and obituary at < https://pbase.com/donboyd/memories_aviation_dickjudy ) hired Ron as an assistant later and he was appointed as Chief of Airside Operations after Dave McGinnis retired. In the late 1980's Ron was promoted to Assistant Director - Operations, overseeing Airside Operations, Landside Operations and Terminal Operations, after Charlie Mauch retired.

In 1989 he served as Interim Deputy Aviation Director after Dick Judy and Deputy Director George Spofford left MIA due to a change in county commissioners and Rick Elder became Interim Aviation Director.

Ron left the Aviation Department and Miami International Airport in the latter part of 1989 and he and Dick Judy went to the Hong Kong Provisional Airport Authority to work on the development of the new Chek Lap Kok Airport offshore of Hong Kong, totally replacing the existing Kai Tak International Airport.

After his contract ended at Hong Kong he had a new home built in the Philippines where he lived most of the time except for visits back to his hometown of Lansing, Michigan. Click on the name image below for Ron's brief obituary. I have more photos of Ron somewhere in the boxes and I'll post them in the future.

Rest in Peace, Ron. We had some great times over the years and you'll never be forgotten by many people.

In Memoriam - Ronald D. Gunther's Obituary
In Memoriam - Ronald D. Gunther's Obituary		 1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther while driving from Lie Khe to Bien Hoa in Vietnam in a Jeep
1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther while driving from Lie Khe to Bien Hoa in Vietnam in a Jeep		 1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther twisting his mustache in Vietnam with Joe Arton and forgotten name pilot in the background
1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther twisting his mustache in Vietnam with Joe Arton and forgotten name pilot in the background		 1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther and a forgotten name LT in a Vietnam hooch shared by four guys with a bar in the middle
1969 - Army Cobra pilot Ron Gunther and a forgotten name LT in a Vietnam hooch shared by four guys with a bar in the middle
Hal Weise (rear center/red hair), Frank McWhirter and Ron Gunther (2nd from right) and other Army Cobra helo pilots in Vietnam
Hal Weise (rear center/red hair), Frank McWhirter and Ron Gunther (2nd from right) and other Army Cobra helo pilots in Vietnam		 1989 - Don Boyd with Ron Gunther skiing in Washington
1989 - Don Boyd with Ron Gunther skiing in Washington		 1989 - Ron Gunther at a ski resort near Spokane
1989 - Ron Gunther at a ski resort near Spokane

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Don Boyd24-Jun-2011 15:39
Thanks Ralph. Your name came up on an e-mail group of former DCAD/MDAD employees that I belong to. Bob Diaz is the leader of the group and his e-mail address is sonicbob@graceba.net . I'll be creating a page for Mr. Judy in the next day or two.

Don
Ralph Rocheteau 23-Jun-2011 20:17
Ron's old boss, Dick Judy, died on Cedar Key, Florida on our about June 22, 2011. The Miami Herald published a long obit on June 23, 2011
Jo Welch 16-Jun-2011 03:06
Ron was born October 4, 1947, my exact birthday too! This guy was awesome, funny, generous, smart, logical, and willing to listen to anothers thoughts. But he didn't tolerate screwups. He would fire someone, union or not. He throughly enjoyed the Air Show every year, and didn't hesitate to give us anything we needed. Even reaching into his own pocket to make sure we had food or drinks. He was missed after Elder took over. As the old refrain was heard over and over," that wouldn't happen if Judy or Gunther was stilll here"
Don Boyd23-May-2011 15:49
Dave, sorry for the delay, but thank you for your offer. I'll add them when you send them. Thanks.

Don
Guest 29-Sep-2009 21:00
DON:
I HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL PICS OF RON BURIED DEEP IN MY 5,000 PLUS PHOTO
GALLERY...AS SOON AS I FIND THEM, I'll SUBMIT THEM TO YOU.

Dave (9/29/09)
Don Boyd31-Aug-2009 02:59
These right on the money comments are from Rick Cybulski who I've known a long time and sent to me in an e-mail and I am reposting here with permission:

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Well ... for Forrest Gump, it was about a box of chocolates. For Ron, it was a flying sushi bar ... in Vietnam, Miami, Hong Kong ....... swooping and sampling wherever he went. He was certainly about the adventure in life but he wasn't just taking it all in solo ... if you were there he'd bring you along. That mischievous smile told you that there could be something you might not forget ... just around the next corner or over the next beach ... and I do mean over. I wasn't very far up in the food chain of Ron's sushi menu, but that didn't matter. During our very occasional encounters, he left me with:

1. "Get down to airside, we're goin for a ride!" a chopper ride over Miami Beach as it turned out ...

2. "Be at Opa-locka at 1500", "yessir" turned out to be an afternoon of seeing the Blue Angels et al doing their stuff for that weekend's air show ... "oh by the way, there's some bubbly in that RV over there".....

3. Is there still the impression of a briefcase on a wall in the 4th floor offices once occupied by MDAD accounting? Ron wore his emotions on his sleeve ... but what impressed me was how well he channeled that impetuous personality into a man who was a leader.

There's more but I'm done ... another one of those lights flickering in the evening sky has gone quiet. RIP my friend!

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