Delbert F. Erhart

Funeral services for Delbert F. Erhart, 95, Linwood, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Lawrence. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lawrence.
He died Sunday, April 3, 2011, at the home of his daughter and son-in-law in rural Linwood.
Mr. Erhart was born March 21, 1916, in Ness City, the son of Andrew James Erhart and Lillie Maggie Conard Erhart.
He graduated from the Spartan School of Aeronautics A-E course with a two-year aerospace engineering equivalent in 1941.
Mr. Erhart became the fixed base operator, or FBO, and airport manager with shop facilities in Larned in 1945. He then moved to Lawrence with his family in 1951. He and his wife owned and operated Erhart Flying Service and Erhart Spraying Service as the full-service fixed base operator of the Lawrence airport with complete maintenance and rebuilding facilities. He held inspection authorization since its inception. He had his commercial pilot license with single and multi-engine land rating with flight instructor, instrument and instrument instructor rating, and was a private and commercial pilot examiner. He helped flood victims during the 1951 flood in Lawrence. He was the FBO in Lawrence until 1971. During that time, he also managed the airports in St. Joseph, Mo., and Olathe. On the 80th anniversary of the Lawrence Municipal Airport, he was recognized for 20 years of leadership as airport manager and FBO. By the time of his medical retirement because of myocardical infarction in 1973, he had logged more than 10,000 hours of flying.
Mr. Erhart enjoyed traveling around the southern United States with his wife, aviation, working in the garden, woodworking, fishing, putting up sweet corn, and making Christmas candy.
Mr. Erhart married June Evangeline Ruehlen on Sept. 8, 1940, in Valley Center. She preceded him in death April 22, 2008.
Also preceding him in death were his nine brothers and sisters.
Survivors include two daughters, Sue Pine and husband Roger, Linwood, and Cindy Pratt and husband Wayne, Scottsdale, Ariz.; a son, Jon and his wife, Debbie, Dodge City; six grandchildren, Shawn Pine Bay and Brian Pine, Derek Pratt, Katy Pratt Flosi, Chelsea Erhart Moore and Lindsay Erhart; and 12 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Warren-McElwain Mortuary.
The family suggests memorials in his name to Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church or to Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, sent in care of the mortuary, 120 W. 13th St., Lawrence, KS 66044.
Online condolences may be sent at warrenmcelwain.com, subject: Erhart.