Obituary of Michael S. Diogo

Michael S. Diogo Jr., died on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, at his home in Port Saint John, FL. He was 96 years old. “Captain”, as he liked to be called in his later years, was born on January 22, 1921 in Provincetown, MA; the youngest of 7 children born to Amelia Costa of the Azores and Michael S. Diogo of Lisbon, Portugal. The son of a Cape Cod fisherman, he attributed his long life to a diet of fish. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corp in 1942 and trained as a fighter pilot and bomber pilot. He served in WWII and Korea and retired from the USAF with a combined active duty and civil service career of upwards of 30 years. As we looked through his papers we found an obituary he had written. These are some of the things he wanted people to know. His earliest interest in aviation occurred at age 6 when he nailed wooden apple crates to his mother’s clothes line wires to simulate an airplane in the air. In 1941 with $500.00 borrowed from their mothers, he and 2 friends purchased an old, 4 cylinder, single spark plug, 1937 Piper Cub airplane. It had no brakes, no tail wheel, nor electric starter. They flew the plane on a grass airfield with 2 runways outlined with 55 gallon metal drums and strings of barb wire. The airfield was located at Race Point Coast Guard Station in Provincetown, MA. Between WWII and the Korean War, he worked for Pratt & Whitney as a test pilot for planes slated for delivery overseas. In 1946 he purchased an amphibian airplane and formed Amphibian Airways, Inc. specializing in Provincetown to Boston routes. He was honored by the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum for starting their first air service and gaining initial airport approval/designation. He was the airport committee chairman in 1948. In 1951 when he was recalled into the service he sold his aircraft and ended his private air-line career. In the 1950’s Captain Diogo worked on our country’s largest radar system in Alaska. He was sent to Cuba and Okinawa as a technical representative for the United States Navy. In the 1960’s he retired from the USAF and accepted a position in civil service at the Eastern Test Range, Foreign Technology Directorate, at Patrick Air Force Base. After retiring from civil service in the 1970’s Captain Diogo moved the family to Amherst, VA where he was active in county government and worked diligently to establish a multi functional use county building. In 2007 Mike became primary caregiver for his wife Joan and they returned to Brevard County Florida to be near family. In September of 2013, Mike went on his WWII Honor Flight to Washington, DC with his daughter, Donna Diogo, as his guardian. Mr. Diogo was proceeded in death by his wife of 65 years, renowned artist Joan Bost Diogo, his daughter Deborah Edwards and his grandson John Lewis Keller. He is survived by a son Michael S. Diogo III, and daughters Angel Keller, Donna Diogo, Carolyn Neighbors, 4 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild on the way. The Diogo Family wants to especially thank Vitas of Titusville, Chaplain Lambert and Senior Partners for the love, wonderful care and understanding they showed our father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend during his final days. His struggle with dementia was challenging and heart breaking. Their knowledge and expertise was most appreciated. Captain Diogo will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery later this year. In lieu of flowers, donations to Space Coast Honor Flight, P.O. Box 560975, Rockledge, FL 32956 will be greatly appreciated.