Joseph O'Dwyer

Joseph Edward O'Dwyer, 92, of Burlington, Kentucky, formerly of Flemington, New Jersey and Huntington, West Virginia, died Monday, August 15, 2011 at the Baptist Village Care Center in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Mr. O’Dwyer was born in Ashland, KY and grew up in Huntington, West Virginia. He was an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Huntington High School in 1937, attended Marshall College and began his flying career at Lunken Field in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio. When World War II began he joined the United States Army Air Corps as an Instructor Pilot in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Having flown aircraft ranging from Waco bi-planes to the B-25 bomber, he finished the war in the China-Burma-India Theatre flying C-46 “Commando” aircraft over the Himalayan Mountains in an effort called “The Hump.” This was a very dangerous mission to deliver desperately needed supplies to troops in China.

After the war, Mr. O’Dwyer became an Airline Pilot for the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) flying the DC-4 out of Hong Kong. When the Chinese Communist Revolution began, he returned to the United States and was hired by Seaboard World Airlines out of Idlewild Airport, New York, later renamed John F. Kennedy Airport. He was a member of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA.) While at Seaboard, he flew in support of the “Berlin Blockade,” the “Pacific Airlifts” of both the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts and many Military Air Transport Service (MATS) charters flying the DC-4, DC-8, Canadair CL-44, Lockheed Super Constellation, Boeing 707 and 747 aircraft. After having travelled the world several times over and flying to all seven continents, he logged more than 30,000 hours of flight time and retired from aviation with 28 years of service at Seaboard World.

Mr. O’Dwyer was active in retirement. He started a home building business, Clonmel Construction Corp and developed his farm in Flemington, NJ. He invented a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) monitor, was active in the Calvary Baptist Church, where he served Communion, and in Rotary International, Flemington, where he received an award for perfect attendance.

Mr. O’Dwyer and his wife, Marianne, moved to Burlington, KY in 2006. He was a loving husband for nearly 63 years and a caring father to his four daughters, Moira, Laura, Susanna and Sarah.

Survivors include his wife, Marianne Warren O'Dwyer; daughters, Moira Anne (Harold) Edwards of Canaan, New Hampshire, Laura Jo (Gerald) Garceau of Guilford, Connecticut, Susanna Lee (David) Krebs of Coconut Creek, Florida, and Sarah Melanie (Scott) Mulready of Burlington, Kentucky; grandchildren, Joshua J. (Robyn) Edwards, Victoria A. (Jeremy) Edwards-White, Warren R. (Casandra) Garceau, and Jared M. Garceau; and great grandson, Jack Vincent Edwards.

He was preceded in death by brothers, John J. "Jack" O'Dwyer and Bernard L. O'Dwyer; sister, Virginia Rose Pellegrini; and parents, John M. and Virginia L. Dent O'Dwyer.

Memorials are suggested to the SIDS Foundation of Cincinnati, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229 or Alzheimer's Association, 644 Linn Street, Cincinnati OH 45203.