WALT REA
1947 - 1986
STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER
DRO ALS JAC BOI


Well another old timer is gone.
Walt Rea passed on, as you can see.
(Obituary enclosed)
Walt joined Monarch in 1946.
He and others of that time period worked station agent and had to take flights as flight attendants.
Walt spent the majority of his time in the DRO station,
but he also worked in ALS, JAC and after Frontier pulled out of DRO,
he transferred to BOI where he was when the end came.
He was in JAC when the earthquake happened up in the West Yellowstone area.
(That was in 1959)
I will talk to his son and see if I can gets some photos & such.
I know Walt was quite a camera bug.
-Vern Crawley
(8/19/02)

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rea. I first met him when I 
was with Monarch in 1948. Our connecting point at that time was in DRO and 
later was in FMN. We both played harmonica (I still do.)
I'm not certain but didn't he also manage the station at SVC for a while? 
Maybe my memory doesn't serve me well but he used to make arrows and was 
quite an Archer...or am I thinking of someone else at SVC?
-Ace Avakian
(8/19/02)
 
I'm very sorry to hear about the death of Walt Rea.. 
I worked for Walt in ALS and with him in BOI.  
Does anyone have addresses of any of the family we can express our condolences?  
We hadn't heard of Florence's death either so this is quite a shock. 
-Cliff Maggard 
(8/20/02)

Posted at the FL Club:
Walt did work at SVC as Ace said.
In the Winter 2002 FL News, John Koehler recollected,
"One time Vern Crawley and I took an early a.m. DC-3 flight PHX-SVC
to go coyote hunting with the station manager, a Mr. Rea.
We sat in the left rear seats holding our .30 caliber hunting rifles
(uncased and unloaded)
The passengers did take note of this but were not bothered by it.
Alas, the old West is gone!"
-Jake Lamkins
(8/20/02)

I believe that that was Ralph Rea that worked in SVC.
I believe he and Walt were first cousins. 
If you ever flew thru SVC Ralph would come out in blue jeans and work the flights. 
The rest of the time he was a farmer/rancher and farmed land around the SVC airport. 
At one time Walt was not only FL manager in DRO but also the airport manager 
-Dick Withrow
(10/15/02)

I'M SURE SADDENED BY ALL THE DEATHS OF GOOD FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES OVER THE YRS.  
I KNEW ABOUT SOME AND HAVE A FEW DETAILS ON SOME 
BUT DIDN'T KNOW OF SOME LIKE JIM CHARBONNEAU AND DAVE WESTON , 
WALT REA ,DUANE SHARP AND HAROLD LONG.  
I WORKED WITH THEM - ALSO KEN HETT AND MO. OSBOURNE.  
I KNEW MO. WOULDN'T LAST LONG CAUSE OUR DEMISE SURE TORE A BIG HOLE IN HIS HEART?     
-VERN RUSSELL
(2/12/03)

I transferred to ALS after being cut from GRI.
I remember working with both Cliff and Enos sometime in '59 and '60 before transferring to PUB.
Walt Rea was the manager then, also worked with Jim Oby, Pat Turner and others I can't remember names too well.
Those were the good old times!
-Larry Baumgartner
(8/14/11)

I remember Walt Rea in Durango (his last station) quite well.  
I was a "new-hire" at the time, and he was no longer in management.  
He always chose the morning winter "OPs" & WX" shift - and did it quite well.  
I think he maybe enjoyed going outdoors and the tension with getting the 737 off the ground (afterward) in snow storms.  
He was a seasoned weather man and cared about the details and outcome.
Walt was not a good guy; he was a great guy.  
Despite his seniority, he was willing to impart much FL wisdom to me.  
And later on when we came to know one another better, he told me lots of stories about his many experiences, 
within and away from employment with Frontier Airlines.  
I didn't learn until after reading his obituary that Walt was a painter artist.  
Long live the character and spirit of Walt Rea!
-Jerry Jordan 
(8/15/11)

I remember Walt Ray working in BOI for a short time. 
He was either #1 in seniority or #2 behind Cliff Maggard. 
Cliff worked ticket counter and had transferred from ALS. 
He and Walt were old friends. 
Don't remember why Walt came to BOI or how long he was there, 
but I think he had left before the shut-down and went back to DRO. 
-Jim Lane 
(8/15/11)

Walt Rea was my first manager too in Durango in 1968 thru 1970.
He was a rancher with his other buddies Dick Hill, Bob Seibert and Harry Fassett to name a few with lots of seniority.
Harry and Walt were stewards before they became station agents.
Bob and I worked nite shift and we would go out in a pickup 
and check the runways before the 580s would come in on bad weather days.
It was a great time in a young man's life and I think of them often..
-Eric Mason
(8/15/11)

W. C. REA
DRO Stn Agt
Per 11/4/55 FL Roster
W. C. REA
JAC Stn Mgr
DOB 7/27/26
DOH 11/1/47
Per Feb 1960 FL Roster
W C REA
Station Agent seniority date of 11/1/47
Per the 1/1/86 FL/ALEA Seniority List
#2 on the list after DEN station agent Bob Elliott
I believe Walt went to BOI when DRO service ceased.
-Jake Lamkins
(8/23/11)

REA, WALTER C
Born 27 Jul 1926
Died 14 Aug 2002 
Age 76
At 81303 Durango CO
SSN issued in Colorado
-SSDI
(8/25/11)