Richard Redditt

Richard Whitson “Turtle” Redditt, age 74, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 25th 2019 at Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego after a ten-month struggle with spindle cell sarcoma cancer. He was born on November 11, 1944 and raised in Orlando, Florida. After graduating Georgia Tech, he was commissioned in the United States Navy and reported to Pensacola, Florida, to begin flight training. He was designated a Navy Pilot in May 1970.

Rich was affiliated with the Unites States Navy and Marine Corp his entire life. His father was a US Marine veteran of WWII who served at Guadalcanal. Rich grew up in Orlando and from his earliest days he watched the beginnings of the space race from Cape Kennedy 40 miles away. He became completely enamored with aviation and aerospace.

His military career included two combat deployments onboard the USS Oriskany flying the F-8 Crusader, where he earned 8 strike-flight Air Medals flying in support of the Vietnam conflict. Rich later instructed in the F-8 Replacement Air Group at Miramar, before being handpicked to join the staff at the air weapons tactics school called TOPGUN, where he served as a gunnery expert. He was considered among the best at air-to-air gunnery in the US Navy at the time. Following TOPGUN, he served in the US Naval Reserve, flying with the preeminent aggressor squadron, VC-13, at Miramar until he retired in 1989 at the rank of Captain.

Rich continued his aviation career flying air cargo around the world for Flying Tigers and Fedex, but his love of the Naval Aviation community never wavered. He was instrumental in keeping the F-8 Crusader pilot group connected and was routinely involved in the planning of the Last Annual Crusader Balls. His Navy career was decorated with many accomplishments and was a source of lifelong friendships.

Rich held a lifelong devotion to his wife and children. He maintained a high moral and ethical standard throughout his life, an incredible sense of humor and enormous amount of wit and wisdom. Rich Redditt was a gentleman to everyone who met him and he set a sterling example of how to live for all of us. He inspired each one of us to achieve our dreams and become the best person we could possibly become.

Rich is survived by his devoted wife of 46 years, Patricia J. Redditt, his children Michael James Redditt and his wife Nina, Amy Redditt Tomlinson and her husband Warren, his 3 grandchildren: Alexander James Tomlinson, Katherine Grace Tomlinson and Michael Richard Redditt, and two loving brothers Bruce Redditt and Thomas Redditt, in-laws, nieces, nephews and a host of life-long friends.

The family suggests any contributions be made in his honor to Sarcoma Foundation of America.

https://www.curesarcoma.org/richard-whitson-redditt/