Memorials › Durward Earl Timmons Sr

Durward Earl Timmons Sr

15 Jan 1917 – 12 Feb 2010

Birth15 Jan 1917
Death12 Feb 2010
CemeteryFort Logan National Cemetery
Denver , City and County of Denver , Colorado , USA
Added bySherry on 02 Jul 2011
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72448961

Bio

Durward E. "Pop" Timmons Sr. took off on his final flight on February 12, 2010, to meet his Maker and join his mother, father, nine brothers and sisters and his daughter, Karen Ann "Timmy" Ruhlin. He left behind Anna "Ann" P. Timmons, his loving wife of 66 years, Sandra May Timmons, his daughter, Durward E. "D" Timmons, Jr., his son, Cathryn "Cathy" R. Timmons, his daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, Benjamin, Kelly, Daniel and Kimberley. During his long and eventful life, Durward pursued two passions, education and aviation. Born on January 15, 1917, in Gatesville, Texas, he grew up on a farm. In his teens he decided that getting an education might be a better pursuit that chopping weeds in a cotton field. He graduated from North Texas State Teachers College in 1940 with a B.A. in biology and earned an M.S. in biology from Texas A&M University in 1942. He taught high school biology and chemistry in 1942. One of his students was his future wife, Anna Pliskal. World War II interrupted his goal of earning a PhD and teaching in college. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. While flying training missions shortly before leaving for North Africa, Ann met Durward in El Paso, Texas where they were married. In Europe, he flew 42 combat missions as a B-24 bombardier, including missions over Italy, Germany and Normandy. Captain Timmons was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After leaving the Army Air Corps in 1946, he and a fellow B-24 crew member bought a cattle ranch near Montrose, Colorado. Tired of cattle rustlers, his desire to teach rekindled and he, Ann and Sandra moved to Texas A&M where he taught biology. In 1947, the new U.S. Air Force had other plans for Durward. He was called back to active duty and was sent to the University of Texas where he studied bacteriology in preparation for research in high altitude flight for the Air Force's next generation of bombers at the School of Aviation Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. In 1953, Major Timmons returned to combat flying during a tour of duty on Okinawa. As a B-29 crewmember, he flew 15 combat missions over North Korea. After returning from Korea, Durward was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards A.F.B., California, as a member of the flight test crew for the new YB-52 long range bomber. When the B-52 became operational in the Strategic Air Command, Durward served as a navigator and electronic warfare officer. During the height of the Cold War, Durward's crew would fly 26-hour airborne alert missions over the North Pole. In 1961, Lt. Col. Timmons was assigned to the Pentagon where he was a project officer for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and other Air Force programs. He retired from the Air Force in 1969, having flown more than 4,482 hours. In 1969, Durward once again restarted his teaching career. This time, however, his challenge was teaching 8th graders at Henry David Thoreau Junior High School in Fairfax, Virginia. Using his past education and experience in biology and science, he taught general science for four years. In 1973, however, he made a dramatic teaching change. While in college and during a tour of duty in San Antonio, Texas, Durward had become fluent in Spanish. He convinced his somewhat reluctant junior high school principal, also a WWII veteran, that his true passion was to teach 8th grade Spanish. For the next 14 years, Señor Timmons, as his students called him, taught hundreds of young teenagers the beauty and elegance of the Spanish language. During summer vacations, he routinely traveled to Spanish speaking countries to take courses in local universities, living with local families and traveling. Durward remained popular with his students because of his unique teaching skills and also because he was the only teacher rode his Honda 90 motorcycle to work virtually every day. In 1985, Durward was the Teacher of the Year for the Fairfax County School District, one of the largest in the nation. Durward, then 70, retired from teaching in 1987. During his early retirement, he continued serving his church, was an active member of the Lions Club and the Masonic Lodge. In his later years, his and Ann's focus became their grandchildren. Pop, as his grandchildren called him, remained active. His favorites included gardening, reading western novels by Zane Gray and going on many cross-country "road trips" to various destinations with his grandchildren and his favorite tour guide and daughter-in-law, Cathy. Pop and Ann returned to Colorado 2002 where they settled in at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain. Although the decades had slowed him down a bit, he never lost his enthusiasm for life and learning. Always the optimist, he became one of the first "Lifetime" members of Cheyenne Mountain State Park association when it opened in 2008. Pop peacefully passed away during the night on February 12, 2010, with Ann sitting beside his bed, gently holding his hand. She and all of his family will miss him greatly. Funeral service will be held on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at Swan-Law Funeral Directors, 501 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO. Burial will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Inscription

LT COL US Air Force World War II, Korea, Vietnam DFC AM Forever in Our Hearts

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