Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Roy Francis Maas, 82

CAMDEN - Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Roy Francis Maas of Camden died in his home Saturday, April 28, 2007. He was 82.

Lt. Col. Maas was born Jan. 23, 1925, in Ishpeming, Mich., son of the late Louis and Violet Irene Maas. He grew up in Detroit as the oldest of seven children.

He was a pilot for the U.S. Air Force and met Daphné Ann Davis in a record store while stationed in San Antonio, Texas. They wed Dec. 22, 1945.

Lt. Col. Maas was a pilot through many U.S. conflicts, most notably the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War. He holds the record for the most logged flying hours in a C-124. He was stationed all around the U.S. until moving his family to Delaware in 1955. He raised his family in Delaware and retired after 22 years of service in 1965.

He and his wife owned and operated The Mud Palace, a local ceramic shop, from 1965-75.

Lt. Col. Maas joined the Ombudsman Program in 1995 after his wife of 49 years passed. He received several awards including the 1998 Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award.

His family will miss his quick wit, charming smile and great laugh. He was known for his puns and his jokes (some cleaner than others)! He was strong, persistent and always "The Colonel."

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Daphné Ann Maas; and his sisters, Betty Jean and Maryland.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Pamela Ann and Edward N. Magee; his son, Cameron Allen Maas Sr.; his granddaughter and her fiancé, Dawn Dené Mehaffey and Thomas W. Read Jr.; his grandson, Cameron Allen Maas Jr.; Cameron Jr.'s mother, Gale Maas; his great-granddaughter, Noel Ilene Majka; three brothers and a sister, Roger, Louis, Kenneth and Violet Ilene; and his caregiver, Katina Freeman-Hallett.

Services will be private.

Arrangements by Pippin Funeral Home, Wyoming.

Letters of condolences may be sent via www.pippinfuneralhome.com.