Robert "Bob" Fredrick Lunde

Robert “Bob” Fredrick Lunde, a U.S. Navy veteran and accomplished pilot, took his final flight on April 18, 2026, at age 89.

Bob was born on October 13, 1936, on his family’s 220-acre dairy farm in Watertown, WI, where he spent his youth milking a herd of 125 cows and farming the fields. During World War II, he worked alongside German POWs who were employed as farmhands. A natural from an early age, Bob learned to drive at six and began flying the family’s crop-dusting Tandem Taylorcraft at nine with his father.

After graduating from Watertown High School in 1955, Bob attended Carroll College, continuing his daily chores by hitchhiking between the farm and school. Bob eventually followed his dream of joining the U.S. Navy as a pilot. He was accepted into the Naval Aviation Candidate Program in 1959, earning his wings in 1960 and subsequently training as a helicopter pilot. During his service, he hunted Soviet submarines during the Cuban Missile Crisis, trained with astronauts as part of the Mercury capsule recovery program at Cape Canaveral, and was nicknamed “Louie” by his fellow airmen. He later attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served eight additional years in the Naval Reserves.

Bob built a remarkable aviation career, which included co-founding a private helicopter company in Milwaukee, where he gave flight lessons. Notably, in 1966, he flew the first helicopter-based traffic report for WTMJ radio. After teaching S.C. Johnson CEO Sam Johnson how to fly, he joined the company in 1967, helping SCJ acquire its first helicopter and later captaining corporate jets for SCJ. He would eventually become SCJ’s Aviation Manager and Chief Pilot while raising his family in Racine.

Bob had the joy of flying around the world. His adventures included the thrill of taking off and landing in the rice paddies of Palau and at the highest US airport in Telluride, CO. Some of the unique locations he visited included Shanghai, Hong Kong, Egypt, Taipei, and Madagascar. His eyes twinkled as he shared stories of flying over the Amazon river basin and the fjords of Norway and flying passengers like Neil Armstrong and Princess Margaret. One of Bob’s favorite moments was flying to nearly 50,000 feet to see the curvature of the Earth, which he described as absolutely beautiful.

In retirement, Bob built his own cabin in Northern Wisconsin, where he listened to the loons at night, water-skied on the lake, and savored the sunsets. His favorite time was spent with his children and grandchildren, sharing stories from his life, teaching them how to fish, picking berries in the summer, downhill skiing, and enjoying bakery treats by the Racine Lighthouse. He couldn't get enough kringle, maple syrup, and frozen custard. From his years of farming and flying, Bob was an amateur meteorologist and astronomer, always interpreting the skies and keeping an eye on the stars. Bob continued to fly on the ground from the cockpit of his Corvette.

Known for his long, warm goodbyes - Bob would always say, “come good home.” We now wish him the same as he departs on his next journey. May he once again soar in the sky like an eagle on a CAVU day - ceiling and visibility unlimited.

Bob will be reunited in heaven with his infant son, Robert William Lunde, mother, Florence and father, Herb, sister, Janet, and brother-in-law, Dick. He is survived by his daughters Jennifer Hayes (Neil), Martha Starr (Lionel), and Katie Lunde. He is further survived by his grandchildren Will Hayes, Sarah Hayes, Annabelle Starr, Bode Starr, Finn Lunde and Owen Lunde. He is also survived by his brother, Steve, sister-in-law, Rachel and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will take place in honor of Bob’s 90th birthday on October 10, 2026, at Meadowbrook Country Club, 2149 N Green Bay Road, Mt Pleasant, WI, from 3:30-6:30.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that any donations be made in Bob’s name to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation with this link https://navalaviationfoundation.org/in-memoriam/