Robert Tracy Cetola

Robert Tracy Cetola passed away peacefully on August 31, 2024, just minutes shy of his 85th birthday with his family by his side. He was born on September 1, 1939, in Chester, Pennsylvania, the second of four children in a loving, tight-knit family. Bob led a life filled with love, purpose, and a sense of gratitude for the many blessings that came his way.

From an early age, Bob demonstrated a natural aptitude for math and a love of learning that would stay with him throughout his life. His love for athletics was evident in high school, where he earned a varsity letter in baseball as a freshman at Ridley Park High School and went on to become the team captain. He was also a starting player on the high school’s undefeated football team. After high school he went on to attend Grove City College, where he was the captain of the soccer team and participated in the Air Force ROTC program where he discovered a passion for flying, earning a private pilot’s license and a commission in the United States Air Force. He also earned a master’s degree in management science from Texas Christian University.

He excelled in Air Force pilot training, where he was awarded “Top Gun” in his F-100 fighter training class. Bob went on to have a distinguished military career. Flying 151 combat missions, Bob received numerous medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star, while serving in Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller, embedded with the 101st Airborne. He retired as a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserves, leaving an indelible mark on his colleagues and the flying community.

Bob worked for many years in the aviation and defense industries for General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin, contributing to multiple fighter aircraft programs. He was a man who truly loved life and found joy in reading, writing, birdwatching, and traveling. Most of all, he cherished his wife Georgianna and family. Bob and Georgianna were high school sweethearts, married for more than 60 years.

A beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, Bob is survived by his wife, Georgianna E. Cetola; his sons, Jeffrey D. Cetola and his wife Ruth; Theodore R. Cetola and his wife Melissa; five grandchildren, Caroline, Grant, Conor, Claire, and Claudia; his brother David; his sister Judy; and a host of nieces, nephews, and extended family.

A service celebrating Bob’s life will be held at 2:00 pm, Sunday, September 22, 2024, at Williamsburg Community Chapel in Williamsburg, Virginia. Burial will be at a future date in Arlington National Cemetery.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Salvation Army.