Captain Robert Patrick Louthen, 69, died peacefully in his Bedford, TX home on April 22, 2018 after a valiant battle with cancer. His devotion to his family and his firm belief in God supported him in his struggle and ultimately gave him peace.
Pat was born Feb 7, 1949 to Bob and Nita Louthen in Columbus, Ohio.
He had an adventurous childhood with his brother and two sisters, and displayed keen intellect from a young age, often devising experiments to test theories about the world around him.
Pat's love of the skies was legendary. He knew from the age of 5 that he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up, and spent much of his life exploring his passion for aviation. He learned to fly a stick-and-rag airplane out of a cow pasture at age 16, and later graduated Embry Riddle University in 1969, at the top of his class, with a degree in aeronautical engineering. After graduation, he joined the Air Force and served as a pilot in the Vietnam War. When the war ended, he ran his own aerial messaging business called Nightlight, and then became an experimental test pilot for Piper; soon thereafter, he embarked on a 22-year career as a civilian pilot for American Airlines, and eventually retired as a seasoned 777 Captain with many stories to tell. Pat continued to fly for Bombardier and Air India for several more years, and had been preparing to build an airplane of his own for recreational flying.
The only thing he was more passionate about than flying was his faith in Christ. Pat was known for his devotion to God, his thirst for scriptural knowledge and his charismatic witnessing to others. He would often happily spend time educating anyone who earnestly sought to learn about the Bible and God's plan for mankind, and freely shared the knowledge he had spent a lifetime learning.
He strove to pass on his deep love of learning to his children, and to encourage them to seek truth and believe in miracles.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughters Tara, Katie, Sharon & Tory; his son, David, his 10 grandchildren, and his sisters Bonnie and Cindy, and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his son, Damon and his brother, Les.
He will be remembered as an excellent pilot, a seeker of truth, and a devout Christian.
A viewing will take place at Foust Funeral Home at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 26, 2018, with a service to follow at 11:00 AM, a reception at 12:00, and a burial at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at 2:15PM. The service will be officiated by Pastor Jim Mayher of Gateway Church. Funeral arrangements are provided by Dignity Memorial. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Gateway Church, 500 South Nolen Dr. Suite #300, Southlake, Texas 76092, memo: In Memory of Pat Louthen.
