Alan "Buck" Lee Rennick

Alan "Buck" Lee Rennick, has passed away due to natural causes on February 2, 2026, in Brighton, Colorado.

Buck was born to Leland and Hellen Rennick (née Fairchild) on January 23, 1938, in Wichita, Kansas. Buck and his younger brother Cork worked with their parents on the family farm in Maize, Kansas raising cattle and chickens and planting and harvesting wheat while they attended grade school and high school.

Buck then attended University of Arkansas on an ROTC and track scholarship. He graduated  in 1960 with a BS in Business Administration. He joined the US Air Force and from January of 1961 to November of 1962 he trained at Webb AFB, Texas; Randolph AFB, Texas; Stead AFB, Nevada; and Luke AFB, Arizona. At those air force bases he completed courses in basic training, flight school, advanced survival, and as an airborne parachutist.

He then attended flight gunnery training school at Luke AFB where he learned to pilot the F-100 "Super Sabre" - the first supersonic airplane used by the Air Force.

He then joined the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron and was stationed at England AFB, Louisiana from January, 1963 to April, 1964; then he was stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida from April to June, 1964.

From June, 1964 to February, 1965 he served in the 1st Air Commando Squadron stationed at Bien Hoa Air Base in Vietnam. From February to April, 1965 he served as a Forward Air Controller for the Vietnamese Airborne Brigade, 2nd Battalion Task Force stationed in Saigon, Vietnam. From April to June, 1965 he was stationed once more at Bien Hoa Air Base before returning to England Air Base in the United States.

All told he flew more than 300 missions in Vietnam, and commendations he received include: the silver star; the distinguished flying cross; the bronze star; an air medal for outstanding unit; a small arms expert marksmanship ribbon; an armed forces expeditionary medal; an armed forces reserve medal; a combat readiness medal; an air force longevity of service ribbon; a national defense service medal; a Vietnam service medal; and the Colorado long service medal.

Around 1966 Buck joined the Air National Guard Reserve at Buckley AFB, Colorado, where he served until being honorably discharged in 1982 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served in the Guard on a part time basis and took a full time job with Continental Airlines which later merged with United Airlines, piloting passenger planes as a captain until his retirement in the 1990s.

Buck's greatest joy was flying. The aircraft he flew in the Air Force included the F-100 "Super Sabre", the A1-E "Skyraider", the B-26 "Marauder", the T-28” Trojan", the T-38 Talon, the B-57 "Canberra", and the A-7D "Corsair II". The aircraft he flew for Continental Airlines included the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, the Boeing 727 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. He also owned several airplanes which he kept at his home, and continued to fly them after his retirement, though as he got older the time between flights became longer and longer until they stopped.

Buck also greatly enjoyed camping and took his family to some of the prettiest and least travelled places in Colorado and Wyoming. He was however often accused of wanting to “live off the land” so much that he didn’t bring enough groceries on those trips! He also had farming in his blood and continued to plant a garden at his house every year.

Buck is preceded in death by his parents Leland and Hellen; his brother Robert (Cork); and his son Robert (Clint). He is survived by his son Alan.

Buck was loved by many and described as “one of a kind” by all that knew him.  He will be sorely missed.

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