Darrell L. Lahr, 67, of Fredericksburg, passed away on Friday, February 15, 2019, at his home. He was the husband of Rita L. Shilling Lahr. On October 3rd, they would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary.
Born in Harrisburg on August 11, 1951, he was the son of the late Galen and Evelyn Jorich Lahr. He was a member of the Nomads Hunting Club, the NRA and he enjoyed hunting and fishing. Darrell joined the PA Army National Guard in 1969 after graduating from high school.
He served 34 years as an active soldier retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) in 2004. He continued his service for 14 additional years as a contractor. In total, Darrell served the U.S. Army and the Eastern Army Aviation Training Site (EAATS) for 48 honorable, faithful and dedicated years.
During this time, Darrell made a significant and indelible impact on the Army Aviation enterprise where he developed and implemented more than 67 courses in pilot, crewmember and maintenance training. His oversight of course management and quality assurance, ensured more than 30,000 students were trained in various aircraft reaching members of the active, guard and reserve components of the U.S. Army to include members of foreign military from over 40 countries. His attention to detail and technical expertise assured the EAATS passed the rigorous accreditation process earning the EAATS the rating of “Learning Institution of Excellence” for eight consecutive times, spanning 22 years.
Darrell played a critical role in the advisement and implementation of institutional training for the entire U.S. Army during the acquisition of the UH-72 Lakota. He was a member of the U.S. Army Transformation Team instrumental in the acquisition, fielding and deployment of the 56th Stryker Brigade. His professionalism, character and presence has been cited by all he served with as the finest example of any Army Soldier.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters Heather R. wife of Chad Miller of Womelsdorf and Holly M. wife of John Radzik of Lititz; brother Darwin Lahr of Newport; Uncle Paul Lahr of Newport and his grandchildren, Maddox, Morgan, Tyce and Lily. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019, at 10:15 a.m. at the Kreamer & Lum Funeral Home & Crematory, Rt. 72 & Camp Meeting Rd.
, Jonestown. A visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. until the start of the service. Interment will follow at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Brain Foundation, 201 Chicago Ave. , Minneapolis, MN 55415 or online at Americanbrainfoundation.org To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Darrell L. Lahr please visit our Sympathy Store.
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