Rusty died July 11, l989, when the helicopter he was piloting for Pacific Helicopters collided with another helicopter over the Gulf of Mexico. He was born December 13, 1944, in Durant, Oklahoma. He graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Rusty served in the Marine Corps 1968-73 as a Captain flying more than 50 medivac missions. Rusty jumped at Redmond 1965-68.