Posted by Stephens F. McCauley, Lt Col, USAF (ret) ' 73 on January 6, 2011:

I miss my dad greatly, and wish I might have spent more time with him in his "mellowed years." He was brilliant and acomplished in academics. However,I rarely followed his personal advice, though I enjoyed his eloquent manner. PerhapsI am a little bit Gullible; but dad was a Lot gillible. I think you have got to have a very big heart to be a Lot Gullible! Since dad wanted me to follow that gray line tradition at WP, I went to the Air Force Academy. Eventualy, he got over the disappointment and got to work on conditioning my children for the 4 year West Point experience as their destiny. Both kids received appointments, and dad was delighted and persistent with "You must realize if you pass-up this opportunity to go to the best school in the nation, you could very well be ruining you lives !" Wow. However, both kids did extremely well at Church funded Universities (Baylor and TCU and UCLA) Dad was proud to see his grandson Shane serve in the Air Force as an MD, now in Afghanistan. Grandaughter Nikki is a popular actress in Hollywood. About my dad...he was fearless. Really. I never saw him flinch or afraid. In his later years, children loved his antics, and adults loved his stories. He became quite a charismatic "Character" in Wilmington. On his death, our Memorial Service packed the chapel of 250 people and more in the parking lot. Below this, I will post his Obituary with hope that all readers might also recall General John M Schofield's disertation to the graduating class of 1879 at West Point, NY....and his meaning. " Sir , the discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is ...." Cleyburn Lycurgus McCauley | Visit Guest Book CLEYBURN LYCURGUS MCCAULEY Cleyburn "Ray" Lycurgus McCauley passed away on Monday, December 13, 2010 after a brief illness. He was born in Houston, Texas on February 8, 1929 to Elizabeth Burleson McCauley and Reese Stephens McCauley. Larger than life, courageous, accomplished, and passionate, he lived many lifetimes in his almost 82 years. After graduating from West Point (1950), he became a fighter pilot and flew the P51-Mustang in 1951-52. He was shot down over Korea and earned a Purple Heart. Later he was an Air Force test pilot and did counterinsurgency work in Latin America. He received an M.S. in Industrial Engineering and Statistics from Stanford and a law degree from William & Mary (1970). He retired from the military as a Lt. Colonel in 1970 and worked in a Washington D.C. law firm before practicing corporate law independently. In 1976, he moved his family to his wife's ancestral home in Wilmington, NC. He had a powerful faith in God that he shared with everyone he knew, and he wrote two books on Biblical history. His greatest gift to all who knew him was his indomitable spirit and his boundless enthusiasm for life. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Elisita" McKoy McCauley; his children Stephens Francis McCauley; Elizabeth McCauley and her husband Robert Mazzetta; Cleyburn and Jean McCauley; Lucy McCauley and Charles Bambach; and his daughter-in-law Julie McCauley Huelle; as well as by three grandchildren: Maj. Shane McCauley, M.D. (PRT Zabul, Afghanistan) and his wife Danielle McCauley; Natalie Nichole McCauley; and Hannah McCauley Bambach. He was predeceased by his brother, Reese Stephens McCauley, Jr. A memorial service will take place on Sun, Dec. 19 at 4pm in the chapel of First Presbyterian Church, 125 S. 3rd Street, Wilmington. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the American Diabetes Association or Veterans of Foreign Wars. Online condolences at StarNewsOnline.com Published in the Wilmington Star-News on December 15, 2010 Website for his obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/starnewsonline/obituary.aspx?n=cleyburn-lycurgus-mccauley&pid=147143300 Thank you for joining me in grief over loss of my very loving dad. Stephens F. McCauley USAFA '73 (817)478-5544 B777Steve @aol.com

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