Vale Ron Reuther

Man of Many Talents

A Tribute from Trevor Dean

In 2003 my wife Lesley and I had the honour and privilege of meeting and spending time with Ron Reuther in San Francisco, following an introduction from mutual friend Nancy Bird Walton AO, OBE, Hon. DSc., Hon. ME.

In researching information for the book "The Boats I Flew" by Bryan Monkton, which I finished and published after Bryan's untimely death, I discovered that Ron was the Founder and President Emeritus of the Western Aeropspace Museum, Oakland, where one of Bryan's former aircraft, a Short Solent is proudly on display.

This Short Solent was used in the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

Ron not only arranged for us to spend time  going over the Solent, he also arranged, along with wife Gerry and daughter Nancy, for us to join the Admiral of the Fleet on board a US Warship to watch the US Navy Fleet pass under the Golden Gate Bridge, then fantastic low level displays by the Navy Blue Angels and the Canadian Snowbirds display teams.   Later Les and I met the pilots of both teams on board a floating Aircraft Carrier Museum !!!

The Navy Blue Angels in Formation

One of Ron's great friends was Scotty Crossfield, Test Pilot for the X-15 Rocket Powered (3000 kph) Aircraft!

 

The following tribute is from a Bay Area News Web Site :

Mr. Reuther served as a zoo administrator for 22 years, acting as manager of the Micke Grove Zoo in Lodi, curator and later assistant director of the Cleveland Zoo, director of the Indianapolis Zoo, director of the San Francisco Zoo from 1966 to 1973, and later executive director and president of the Philadelphia Zoo.

In 1971, while serving as director of the San Francisco Zoo, Mr. Reuther adopted a sickly baby gorilla named Hanabi-Ko - "fireworks child" in Japanese - into his home. He fed her with a baby bottle, diapered her, and allowed her to play with his family until she became too powerful to keep. Believing that gorillas use sign language in their natural habitat, Mr. Reuther supported the proposal of a Stanford University graduate student, Penny Patterson, to teach human sign language to "Koko."

"Mr. Reuther embraced the idea. He believed the success of such an endeavor could be very positive, not only for Koko but for all gorillas," said Lorraine Slater, development director of the Gorilla Foundation in Woodside, where Koko now lives. "He was instrumental in all of that happening. We have said had it not been for him, there might be no Project Koko today." Mr. Reuther continued to serve as an adviser to the Gorilla Foundation for the rest of his life.

 

The B-26 Bomber of the type flown by Ron Reuther

As a student, Mr. Reuther served in the Reserve Officers Training Corps for the U.S. Air Force. Upon graduation, Mr. Reuther flew B-26 bombers and C-119 "flying boxcars" in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, continuing a lifelong interest in aviation that began when he earned his airplane merit badge as a Boy Scout in Florida. He remained active in the Air Force Reserve and Army Reserve until 1981, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and receiving the Meritorious Service Medal.

"He had a great interest in aviation history, as well as flying, and a special interest in the aviation history of the Bay Area and Northern California," said William Larkins, who co-authored "San Francisco Bay Area Aviation," published in 2007, with Mr. Reuther, and plans to complete the book on Oakland aviation they had begun together.

Mr. Reuther lectured on aviation operations and management for Golden Gate University and on aeronautics at Sierra Academy for professional flight students. He was particularly knowledgeable about women's flight pioneer Amelia Earhart, acting as moderator for the Amelia Earhart Society's online discussion group since 2000 and organizing four conferences in the Bay Area.

In 1981, Mr. Reuther helped found the Western Aerospace Museum, now known as the Oakland Aviation Museum. The museum includes more than 100,000 square feet of exhibitions, including the sister ship of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra and the "flying boat" used in the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

In addition to his wife, Mr. Reuther is survived by his stepdaughters Laurel Elkus, of Belvedere and Nancy Elkus, of San Francisco; sons Paul Reuther, of Washington D.C., Jon Reuther of San Rafael and daughter Victoria Casto of San Rafael; former wife Mary Reuther of San Rafael; and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter, Catherine Reuther Bonomi.

 

Photography by Trevor Dean