George Batchelor was born in Shawnee and here he will be laid to rest at 81.
The multimillionaire aviation pioneer and renowned philanthropist died quietly July 30 after a three-week battle with lung cancer at his Miami Beach, Fla., home.
In Shawnee, the Batchelor name can be seen on the pavilion at the KidSpace Park, which was funded in part with a $120,000 grant from the Batchelor Family Foundation.
"He was very, very good to Shawnee," said City Commissioner Linda Peterson.
He reportedly pledged $100,000 in seed money to build a teen recreation center.
Graveside services are scheduled for noon Monday in the gazebo at Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee. He will be buried in the family plot next to his parents. Funeral services were scheduled for today at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach.
Batchelor was born Dec. 20, 1920, to George and Catherine Batchelor. He graduated from Shawnee High School and later from Aeronautical Institute in California where he studied business, aviation administration and flight.
He learned to fly at 16 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996. Batchelor owned passenger and cargo airlines, along with companies specializing in aircraft maintenance, leasing, insurance, overhaul and repair.
Batchelor helped design the P-51, a World War II fighter plane, and served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II where he received the Air and Victory medals. He was assigned to the 302nd Air Transport Wing, which received a Presidential Citation.
He launched his first aircraft company after the war by buying a DC-3 in Hawaii and flying it to the mainland and selling it. Batchelor founded Batchelor Air, Inc. and subsidiaries. He was the founder and chairman of Arrow Air and the founder, CEO and president of Aerospace Finance, Ltd.
He founded the Batchelor Foundation in 1990 and donated millions of dollars for research in children's health, giving $15 million to the University of Miami School of Medicine for a building housing the pediatric research and other children's programs. It was named the Batchelor Children's Research Institute in his honor.
His association with the university began when he brought his then-14-year-old son Falcon, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, to see Dr. Robert M. McKey, founder of UM's Cystic Fibrosis Center.
Other physicians had told the Batchelor family that Falcon had only a few years to live, but under McKey's care, he lived to 35.
The Batchelor family sponsored two camps a year in Key Largo, Fla., for children with cystic fibrosis and was a major benefactor of the Miami Metrozoo, the Miami Museum of Science, the Community Partnership for the Homeless, and WPBT-Ch. 2, the public television station.
It was estimated that Batchelor donated more than $100 million to South Florida charitable and public service organizations.
Among his awards were the GMAA Wright Brothers Memorial Award; the NAA Pioneer of Aviation Award; the Aviation Amigo Award from the Aviation Latin American and Caribbean CEO Conference; the Istat Award, honoring entrepreneurial excellence in aviation and air finance; and the United Way of Miami-Dade "Alexis de Tocqueville Award" for sustained philanthropy.
He also was inducted into the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame and the Amelia Earhart Forest for Friendship Memory Lane.
He is survived by his wife, Amanda Batchelor; sons, Jonathan Batchelor and Douglas Batchelor; stepdaughters Amy Thibodeaux and Sarah Thibodeaux; brothers, Jim Batchelor and Robbin Batchelor; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services are being handled in Shawnee by Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel.
The Shawnee News-Star - August 3, 2002
The multimillionaire aviation pioneer and renowned philanthropist died quietly July 30 after a three-week battle with lung cancer at his Miami Beach, Fla., home.
In Shawnee, the Batchelor name can be seen on the pavilion at the KidSpace Park, which was funded in part with a $120,000 grant from the Batchelor Family Foundation.
"He was very, very good to Shawnee," said City Commissioner Linda Peterson.
He reportedly pledged $100,000 in seed money to build a teen recreation center.
Graveside services are scheduled for noon Monday in the gazebo at Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee. He will be buried in the family plot next to his parents. Funeral services were scheduled for today at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach.
Batchelor was born Dec. 20, 1920, to George and Catherine Batchelor. He graduated from Shawnee High School and later from Aeronautical Institute in California where he studied business, aviation administration and flight.
He learned to fly at 16 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996. Batchelor owned passenger and cargo airlines, along with companies specializing in aircraft maintenance, leasing, insurance, overhaul and repair.
Batchelor helped design the P-51, a World War II fighter plane, and served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II where he received the Air and Victory medals. He was assigned to the 302nd Air Transport Wing, which received a Presidential Citation.
He launched his first aircraft company after the war by buying a DC-3 in Hawaii and flying it to the mainland and selling it. Batchelor founded Batchelor Air, Inc. and subsidiaries. He was the founder and chairman of Arrow Air and the founder, CEO and president of Aerospace Finance, Ltd.
He founded the Batchelor Foundation in 1990 and donated millions of dollars for research in children's health, giving $15 million to the University of Miami School of Medicine for a building housing the pediatric research and other children's programs. It was named the Batchelor Children's Research Institute in his honor.
His association with the university began when he brought his then-14-year-old son Falcon, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, to see Dr. Robert M. McKey, founder of UM's Cystic Fibrosis Center.
Other physicians had told the Batchelor family that Falcon had only a few years to live, but under McKey's care, he lived to 35.
The Batchelor family sponsored two camps a year in Key Largo, Fla., for children with cystic fibrosis and was a major benefactor of the Miami Metrozoo, the Miami Museum of Science, the Community Partnership for the Homeless, and WPBT-Ch. 2, the public television station.
It was estimated that Batchelor donated more than $100 million to South Florida charitable and public service organizations.
Among his awards were the GMAA Wright Brothers Memorial Award; the NAA Pioneer of Aviation Award; the Aviation Amigo Award from the Aviation Latin American and Caribbean CEO Conference; the Istat Award, honoring entrepreneurial excellence in aviation and air finance; and the United Way of Miami-Dade "Alexis de Tocqueville Award" for sustained philanthropy.
He also was inducted into the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame and the Amelia Earhart Forest for Friendship Memory Lane.
He is survived by his wife, Amanda Batchelor; sons, Jonathan Batchelor and Douglas Batchelor; stepdaughters Amy Thibodeaux and Sarah Thibodeaux; brothers, Jim Batchelor and Robbin Batchelor; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services are being handled in Shawnee by Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel.
The Shawnee News-Star - August 3, 2002
George Batchelor was born in Shawnee and here he will be laid to rest at 81.
The multimillionaire aviation pioneer and renowned philanthropist died quietly July 30 after a three-week battle with lung cancer at his Miami Beach, Fla., home.
In Shawnee, the Batchelor name can be seen on the pavilion at the KidSpace Park, which was funded in part with a $120,000 grant from the Batchelor Family Foundation.
"He was very, very good to Shawnee," said City Commissioner Linda Peterson.
He reportedly pledged $100,000 in seed money to build a teen recreation center.
Graveside services are scheduled for noon Monday in the gazebo at Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee. He will be buried in the family plot next to his parents. Funeral services were scheduled for today at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach.
Batchelor was born Dec. 20, 1920, to George and Catherine Batchelor. He graduated from Shawnee High School and later from Aeronautical Institute in California where he studied business, aviation administration and flight.
He learned to fly at 16 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996. Batchelor owned passenger and cargo airlines, along with companies specializing in aircraft maintenance, leasing, insurance, overhaul and repair.
Batchelor helped design the P-51, a World War II fighter plane, and served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II where he received the Air and Victory medals. He was assigned to the 302nd Air Transport Wing, which received a Presidential Citation.
He launched his first aircraft company after the war by buying a DC-3 in Hawaii and flying it to the mainland and selling it. Batchelor founded Batchelor Air, Inc. and subsidiaries. He was the founder and chairman of Arrow Air and the founder, CEO and president of Aerospace Finance, Ltd.
He founded the Batchelor Foundation in 1990 and donated millions of dollars for research in children's health, giving $15 million to the University of Miami School of Medicine for a building housing the pediatric research and other children's programs. It was named the Batchelor Children's Research Institute in his honor.
His association with the university began when he brought his then-14-year-old son Falcon, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, to see Dr. Robert M. McKey, founder of UM's Cystic Fibrosis Center.
Other physicians had told the Batchelor family that Falcon had only a few years to live, but under McKey's care, he lived to 35.
The Batchelor family sponsored two camps a year in Key Largo, Fla., for children with cystic fibrosis and was a major benefactor of the Miami Metrozoo, the Miami Museum of Science, the Community Partnership for the Homeless, and WPBT-Ch. 2, the public television station.
It was estimated that Batchelor donated more than $100 million to South Florida charitable and public service organizations.
Among his awards were the GMAA Wright Brothers Memorial Award; the NAA Pioneer of Aviation Award; the Aviation Amigo Award from the Aviation Latin American and Caribbean CEO Conference; the Istat Award, honoring entrepreneurial excellence in aviation and air finance; and the United Way of Miami-Dade "Alexis de Tocqueville Award" for sustained philanthropy.
He also was inducted into the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame and the Amelia Earhart Forest for Friendship Memory Lane.
He is survived by his wife, Amanda Batchelor; sons, Jonathan Batchelor and Douglas Batchelor; stepdaughters Amy Thibodeaux and Sarah Thibodeaux; brothers, Jim Batchelor and Robbin Batchelor; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services are being handled in Shawnee by Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel.
The Shawnee News-Star - August 3, 2002
The multimillionaire aviation pioneer and renowned philanthropist died quietly July 30 after a three-week battle with lung cancer at his Miami Beach, Fla., home.
In Shawnee, the Batchelor name can be seen on the pavilion at the KidSpace Park, which was funded in part with a $120,000 grant from the Batchelor Family Foundation.
"He was very, very good to Shawnee," said City Commissioner Linda Peterson.
He reportedly pledged $100,000 in seed money to build a teen recreation center.
Graveside services are scheduled for noon Monday in the gazebo at Fairview Cemetery in Shawnee. He will be buried in the family plot next to his parents. Funeral services were scheduled for today at St. Patrick Church in Miami Beach.
Batchelor was born Dec. 20, 1920, to George and Catherine Batchelor. He graduated from Shawnee High School and later from Aeronautical Institute in California where he studied business, aviation administration and flight.
He learned to fly at 16 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame in 1996. Batchelor owned passenger and cargo airlines, along with companies specializing in aircraft maintenance, leasing, insurance, overhaul and repair.
Batchelor helped design the P-51, a World War II fighter plane, and served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II where he received the Air and Victory medals. He was assigned to the 302nd Air Transport Wing, which received a Presidential Citation.
He launched his first aircraft company after the war by buying a DC-3 in Hawaii and flying it to the mainland and selling it. Batchelor founded Batchelor Air, Inc. and subsidiaries. He was the founder and chairman of Arrow Air and the founder, CEO and president of Aerospace Finance, Ltd.
He founded the Batchelor Foundation in 1990 and donated millions of dollars for research in children's health, giving $15 million to the University of Miami School of Medicine for a building housing the pediatric research and other children's programs. It was named the Batchelor Children's Research Institute in his honor.
His association with the university began when he brought his then-14-year-old son Falcon, who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, to see Dr. Robert M. McKey, founder of UM's Cystic Fibrosis Center.
Other physicians had told the Batchelor family that Falcon had only a few years to live, but under McKey's care, he lived to 35.
The Batchelor family sponsored two camps a year in Key Largo, Fla., for children with cystic fibrosis and was a major benefactor of the Miami Metrozoo, the Miami Museum of Science, the Community Partnership for the Homeless, and WPBT-Ch. 2, the public television station.
It was estimated that Batchelor donated more than $100 million to South Florida charitable and public service organizations.
Among his awards were the GMAA Wright Brothers Memorial Award; the NAA Pioneer of Aviation Award; the Aviation Amigo Award from the Aviation Latin American and Caribbean CEO Conference; the Istat Award, honoring entrepreneurial excellence in aviation and air finance; and the United Way of Miami-Dade "Alexis de Tocqueville Award" for sustained philanthropy.
He also was inducted into the OX5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame and the Amelia Earhart Forest for Friendship Memory Lane.
He is survived by his wife, Amanda Batchelor; sons, Jonathan Batchelor and Douglas Batchelor; stepdaughters Amy Thibodeaux and Sarah Thibodeaux; brothers, Jim Batchelor and Robbin Batchelor; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Services are being handled in Shawnee by Roesch-Walker Funeral Chapel.
The Shawnee News-Star - August 3, 2002
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