Richard Stone Lambert

Richard Stone Lambert passed away on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at the age of 79. He was raised in Westfield, New Jersey and graduated from Westfield Senior High School in 1953. After graduation, he entered the U.S. Air Force where he thrived on maintaining and upgrading B-47 radar bombsight computers. Mentored by his World War II pilot brother-in-law, he learned to fly at the Homestead Air Force Base SAC Aero Club, leaving the service with a healthy 310 hours of flight time. In 1958, he entered the University of Florida for a degree in aerospace engineering.
The blossoming airline industry of the 1960’s led to a 32-year career at Delta Airlines where he flew many aircraft from piston powered DC-6s to the international L-1011 jet. He loved flying the CV440 and B757. Computers were also a real passion for him. After mandatory retirement at age 60, he entered the computer industry as an Apple Computer consultant where he provided IT services to small companies.
Throughout his life he pursued his cherished hobby of restoring planes and automobiles. He and three partners restored three WWII Grumman fighters, an FM-2 Wildcat and two F6F-5 Hellcats, one of which hangs in the Navy’s Pensacola museum. After retirement he enjoyed undertaking a top to bottom restoration of a 1953 MG at his mountain house in Rabun County. Shortly thereafter a friend recruited him to take on the job of rewiring the entire electrical system of a classic WWII fighter, a Bell P-63A, and he spent several years working on that plane for The Commemorative Air Force in Peachtree City.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Marianne Burke Lambert, their two children, Richard Burke Lambert and Anne Lambert Tracht as well as two grand children, Miles Avery Tracht and Abigail Anne Tracht, all of Atlanta, Georgia.
He was a strong influence in the lives of those around him. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice or The Commemorative Air Force, 1200 Echo Court, Peachtree City, Georgia, 30269.