Victor Kregel Obituary

Victor R. "Vic" Kregel, 89, of Colorado Springs died on July 20, 2011 at Life Care Center. Vic was a retired Air Force Command Pilot and later was an aerospace executive. He was formerly the National President of the Air Force Association and later Chairman of the Board of that worldwide organization. Memorial services will be held at Shrine of Remembrance "America the Beautiful" Chapel on Tuesday, July 26 at 2:00 p.m. Inurnment will be at the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, "Old Glory Columbarium." Mr. Kregel was born on April 8, 1922 to Mary and Joseph Kregel in Irwin, PA and resided there until he joined the then Army Air Corps in 1942. He served for 23 years and attained the rank of Colonel, retiring at the Air Force Academy in 1965. After many years in Dallas, Texas, with the LTV Corporation he returned to Colorado Springs in 1987. He was married to Marie A. Meister who survives as do his three children, Victor W. Kregel of Boulder, Colorado; Kathleen M. Kregel of Fort Collins, Colorado; and Timothy J. Kregel who lives in Germany. Mr. Kregel had a variety of unusual assignments during his 23-year Air Force career. A command pilot, he was a graduate of both the Army Air Corps and the U.S. Navy flying programs. During WWII he flew 500 combat hours in the South West Pacific piloting PB4 "Catalina" flying boats in the newly created Air Sea Rescue Service. He later flew the Berlin Airlift and then flew for two years in Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force. He lectured for several years at the Air University in Alabama and upon his retirement at the Academy he was the business manager of the Department of Athletics and was also the varsity golf coach. Vic, an avid golfer, caddied as a youngster. He was the captain of the high school golf team and soon the club champion of his home course where he shot a course record of ten under par score of 62. In 1951 he won the European Amateur Championship and in 1954 Mr. Crosby invited then Captain Kregel as his personal guest in the "Crosby Clambake." In 1955/6 Major Kregel won both the Royal Air Force match and medal play championships. In addition to several base and city championships, Vic has won the Air Force Academy Senior Golf Championship three times and the Colorado Senior Stroke Play Championship in his age bracket eight times. Vic was recently honored by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame with the Distinguished Service award. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Mountain Chapter, Alzheimer's Association, 801 N. Cascade Ave., Suite 32, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.