Robert Pike, Jr

Robert Hagan Pike age 84 of Lake Elmo, MN passed away suddenly on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 due to a heart problem. Bob was born in Jersey City, NJ Sept. 12, 1933. He grew up in Teaneck, NJ and graduated from the Englewood School for Boys in Bergen, NJ. He said he remembers hanging off the airport fence when he was four years old and he learned to fly at Little Ferry Seaplane Base in New Jersey on the Hackensack River at age 16 in 1949. Bob graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida in aviation maintenance, and he bought and sold about 14 or 15 small airplanes in his lifetime. He started his airline career as co-pilot for troop transports and then at Capital Airlines, Washington, D.C., where he was a flight engineer, co-pilot and captain. Capital merged with United Airlines and he retired from United in 1993. In his final years he was Captain of 747s from O'Hare to Narita, Japan; he was a commercial pilot for 38 years. In 1985 he was in charge of the Chicago based office during the United Pilots Union strike. He held a pilot license, instructor's license, A&P mechanics, and CFI. Robert was preceded in death by his parents Robert Hagan Pike, Sr., and Marguerite Ann Yeutter Pike, and his wife Dorothy Orofino. He is survived by his wife, Judy Gibson, his brother Charles (Ursula) Pike and his children Robert Hagan (Elaine) Pike, Cindi (Joel) Freeman; Ron Pike (Ann Brooke); William Todd (Jill) Pike. Grandchildren: Ryan (Jamie) Pike, Sara Pike, Samantha Freeman, Annie Freeman, Addie Brooke Pike, Taylor Pike and Chandler Pike. Great grandchildren: Owen, Lucas and Bryn Pike. There will be a private gathering to celebrate his life at his home in Lake Elmo.