Robert Joseph Durant passed away peacefully in his home on May 21, 2014. In December 2012 he had suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered.
Bob was born on July 7, 1938 in Akron, Ohio, and was residing in Pennington, NJ with his wife Mauricette at the time of his death. He graduated from Case Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1960, after which he was received a commission in the Navy.
Bob flew in the Navy until joining Pan Am in 1967, and remained with Pan Am until he transitioned to Delta Airlines when Pan Am ceased operations. Bob retired from Delta in 1998.
He was a man of varied interests and abilities, and particularly enjoyed writing. One of the interests in which Bob actively participated was as a Trustee of “The Pan American Pilots’ Retirement Foundation”, unofficially called “Operation Dignity”. He was a tireless contributor, serving more than 20 years as a Trustee; including the last 12 years as President. During those last 12 years his organizational and writing skills were particularly valuable. The founding members of PAPRF had built a solid, well run organization. The only pressing need was to computerize all the manual paperwork, and Bob devoured paperwork! PAPRF was well served during Bob’s leadership, resulting in countless individuals continuing to receive essential benefits because of the foresight of the founders and the generosity of its’ members.