OBITUARY Crosby McKinley Kearsley, Jr. November 9, 1931 – August 27, 2018 Crosby McKinley Kearsley, Jr. of Wayne, New Jersey passed away on August 27, 2018, at the age 86. He was born on November 9, 1931 at 11 Church Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY to the late Crosby Kearsley, Sr. and Harriet N. Kearsley. A beloved brother, father, uncle and a lifelong aviator, “Bing” was devoted to his children, family, friends and to flying.
He earned his private pilots license from the Federal Aviation Administration while still in High School at the age of 16. After his graduation from Croton-Harmon High School in 1949, Crosby enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was a decorated patriot who served as a radar technician during the Korean War.
After separating from the DOD Crosby worked for 35 years as a senior microwave test technician for GPL, which became Singer-Kearfott Division a defense contractor and manufacturer of radar, navigational, and guidance systems for military aircraft. Amongst those aircraft were systems for the C-5A Galaxy, FB-111, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter all of which are still in service today. After leaving Singer-Kearfott, he worked as an Air Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor, and flew as a volunteer pilot with the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary flying maritime patrol, search, and rescue missions.
He conducted Eagle Flights for the Boy Scouts of America and was the maintenance officer for the GPA Flying Club at Lincoln Park Airport, Lincoln Park, NJ. Crosby’s marriage to Loretta Bunch was a union blessed with three children: Crosby David, Richard Todd, and Leslie Susan. Although it ended after 25 years in an amicable divorce, they remained friends bound by their determination to raise and care for their children.
Intelligent, thoughtful, health-conscious, and generous he was a man who savored life and loved and cared for his children deeply. His passion for flying never abated and neither did his penchant for sharing that love through teaching others the art and science of traversing the skies. His wealth of friends, colleagues, and his grieving family pray that he may forever soar in the presence of The Lord.
Crosby is survived by his former wife, Loretta, sisters Irene Billips, Dora Kearsley and Doris Brooks; by his children David, Richard and Leslie; by his grandchildren Johanna, Matthew and Jasper, by his great-grandson Liam and by many loving cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Crosby Kearsley, Sr. and Harriet N. Kearsley , and by his sisters Corene M. Washington and Evelyn Kearsley. Visitation will be held on Saturday September 15, 2018, from 11 am until 1 pm at the E. F. Carter Funeral Home, 41 Grand St., Croton-on-Hudson, NY.
A memorial service will follow at 2 pm , September 15th at Asbury United Methodist Church, 17 Old Post Rd S, Croton-on-Hudson, New York. His aviation colleagues, fellow coastguardsmen, and aviation students will honor Crosby in a reception to be held at Airbound Aviation FBO at the Es County Airport, 27 Wright Way, Fairfield , New Jersey at 1 pm on Sunday, September 16, 2018.
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