Ralph de Castro

Ralph Cheron de Castro was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 17, 1920 and grew up in Paris, France. His childhood playground behind his parents' home was in the park grounds of the Eiffel Tower, and he remained in Paris until his late teens. He later attended Middlebury College in Vermont, but in 1942 enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, who had been a decorated World War I aviator. During World War II, as First Lieutenant, Ralph flew troops and cargo over the treacherous ""Hump"" of the Himalayas, earning a Presidential Citation, the prestigious Air Medal, four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Thirty years later, the Chinese government found a lost order and awarded him the China War Memorial Medal for his outstanding assistance during the war. After the war, Ralph flew for Taca and Avianca Airlines in South America, where he met the love of his life, Gwendoline Oliver. They were married in New Jersey in 1948. Later, Ralph and Gwen returned to the US to live in Miami, where Ralph flew as a Captain for Eastern Airlines for many years until his retirement. Ralph and Gwen raised a daughter, Christine, and a son Ralph, and after his retirement from Eastern Airlines moved to Melbourne. Ralph was a highly regarded aviator, a member of the Hump Pilots Association, Quiet Birdmen, and other organizations for like-minded aviators, and was a direct descendant of a New York American Revolutionary soldier. He was also a successful and awarded photographer with his own photography business, Phototec, and was a Life Member of the Atlantic Professional Photographers Association, in which a scholarship in his name was established. Ralph enjoyed the ocean and his sailboat, first as a member of the Coconut Grove Sailing Club in Miami and later the Melbourne Yacht Club. Ralph never lost his love of Chinese food, which he had acquired while in China during World War II. He loved classical music and Spanish guitar, and enjoyed practicing to maintain his fluency in French and Spanish whenever he could. Ralph had a great sense of humor and wit, loved animals (especially his Siamese cat), watching old movies, and in his earlier years could often be found scuba diving among the reefs in south Florida. He passed away August 29, 2012, peacefully and without pain at home with his wife and cat by his side, as he wanted. Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 63 ½ years, Gwendoline, his sister Diane Crommett of Puerto Rico, and daughter Christine and her husband Maury Hatcher of Windermere, FL. He is also survived by his grandson Maury Hatcher and grand-daughter in law Virginia Hatcher of St. Cloud, FL, grandson Craig Hatcher of Savannah, GA, and his great-grandson Henry Hatcher of St Cloud, FL. Ralph has ""flown west"", as aviators say, to be with his Heavenly Father and to join loved ones who went before him. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him, until we meet again. A Celebration of Life will be held 3:00PM, Sunday, September 9, 2012 at Hope Episcopal Church, 190 Interlachen Road, Melbourne, FL 32955, with Military Honors