Robert "Bob" Paul Aylward, 99, died Sunday, March 4, 2018. He was born on the farm in Stonington, IL on July 15, 1918. His family moved to Greenville, Mississippi when Bob was 10. Bob graduated from Mississippi State College with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. In 1940 Bob moved to Wichita, KS to work for Beechcraft. Bob became a Senior Project Engineer working on many projects and serving as President of the Supervisor's Club. Bob worked at Beechcraft/Raytheon until his retirement in 1983. He then continued his career as an expert witness for the Martin Pringle Law Firm, and then as an engineer for J.B. Dwerlkotte Associates. Robert married Mariana Wetterhold on June 1, 1944 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, KS. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Phillip John and Katherine Agnes Aylward; sisters, Katherine and Ione; brothers, Philip Leo, Francis, and Howard; first wife, Mariana Wetterhold Aylward, and second wife, Allene Fogelstrom Boston Aylward. Bob is survived by his daughters, Suzanne Montgomery, Sally Leyba, and Cynthia Dawson (Jon); sons, Philip Aylward (Linda), Michael Aylward, and Patrick Aylward (Mary Muset); grandchildren, Douglas Cramer (Amy), Katy Cramer Dorrah (Brent), David Montgomery (Karen), Lindsay Aylward, Vanessa Aylward Ruhlman (Ryan), Ashley Aylward (Jonathan Martin), Samuel Leyba, Matthew Leyba, Jennifer Dawson Cardelus (Arturo), Christine Dawson Williams (Ben); great-grandchildren, Drew and Livi Cramer, Addie Dorrah, Grace Cardelus, Lyndon Brewer, Myles Martin. Bob enjoyed operating planes and gliders, organic gardening, camping and water skiing with the kids, refinishing antiques, learning Spanish, and genealogy. Bob volunteered as a frequent blood donor, Meals on Wheels deliverer, preparer of tax returns for the needy, Eucharistic Minister, church lector, member of Knights of Columbus, and Serra Club. Rosary will be at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary; Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 8, 2018, at Blessed Sacrament Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with: Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 124 N. Roosevelt, Wichita, KS, 67208; Good Shepherd Hospice, 7829 E. Rockhill S-403, Wichita, KS, 67206. His Southern Hospitality, his easy charm, his love of family and friends, and his religious core will live forever in our hearts.

Bob was the best engineer I ever worked for at Beech Aircraft. He was instrumental in establishing the first Flight Simulators in the Beech Training Center.