Col. Sherman P. Booen, 97, of Richfield, flew to the heavens on April 4, 2011.

He was preceded in death by parents, Ralph and Gae Booen; brother, Shirley Booen; wife, Mavis; and daughter, Boni Roberts.

He is survivied by granddaughter, D’Ette Mullinix (Jeff); son-in-law, Bill Roberts; sister, Mary Leone Sonksen, of Albert Lea; nieces: Carla, Joanie, Jackie, Jeannie, Janice and Beverly; nephew, Maurice; and many other relatives and friends including special friends: Patty and Mike Steuck.

Formerly of Glenville and Albert Lea, Sherm earned his broadcast license in 1934 and worked at KWTN in South Dakota and KATE in Albert Lea. In 1940 he learned to fly and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained aircrews in the operation of the C-1 autopilot in B-17 and B-24 bombers in War World II. As a Marine in Korea he was an air traffic controller and then to Tokyo as the operations officer of the Armed Forces Radio – Far East Command. In 1953 he produced a television program on WCCO-TV called “World of Aviation” which ran for 28 years. In addition to his television work, he published an aviation magazine called “Minnesota Flyer” with the help of wife Mavis and daughter Boni. He was inducted into the “Aviation Hall of Fame” in 1995 and the “Broadcasting Hall of Fame” in 2002. Sherm flew a 1938 Taylorcraft and then his Beechcraft Bonanza (N758B) for 20 years. He flew until age 90 and earned the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. He was an avid radio buff (W0RHT) since 1934.

He was loved and will be missed.

Memorial service on Friday at 1 p.m. at Richfield United Methodist Church, 5835 Lyndale Ave. S. Memorials preferred to NC Little Hospice, Edina.