Richard Mangione

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Richard Mangione passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Rick was born on Oct. 2, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pa. to Maria and Angelo Mangione, both Italian immigrants. He lived the first 17 years of his life in South Philadelphia, Pa., before leaving school and joining the Navy, where he trained as an aircraft navigator at VP-23 Squadron Brunswick Naval Air Station Brunswick. While stationed here he met the love of his life, Particia A. Robinson and they were married on April 19, 1958. The couple lived in Bath and Portland before Rick took a job as a salesman for Dell Publishing Company that moved them to Rhode Island, New York State, and Massachusetts.

He always had a love of flying and eventually worked to receive his private pilot’s license. It was in Massachusetts that he joined the Civil Air Patrol based out of Hanscom Field Lexington, Mass. Over the years he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and received many unit awards and citations including a 9/11 medal for flying medical supplies into New York City, N.Y. while commercial aviation was grounded.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Patricia; daughters Veronica Mangione and Stephane Caron; three grandchildren, Alexander Mangione-Smith, Jessica Mangione-Smith, and Joseph Caron; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins in Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey and Maine.

Funeral services were held at Desmond’s Funeral Home in Bath on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m.

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit http://www.desmondfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers, please, donations can be made in Rick’s name to

Civil Air Patrol:

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/?form=25AnnualCampaign

or to the local Hanscom Squadron for their cadet programs.

Checks or money orders can be made out to “Civil Air Patrol – MA043″ and mailed to the finance officer at:

Hanscom Composite Squadron,

P.O. Box 954,

Epping, NH 03042-0954