BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY L. Hubbard Sr.
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Lyman
L. Hubbard, Sr.
SPRINGFIELD - Lyman L. Hubbard, Sr., the only Springfieldian to graduate from pilot training at Tuskegee Army Air Base during war,WWII, died on January 12, 2012 at his home in Springfield. Lyman was a graduate of Class 45-H at Tuskegee and flew B-25 bombers. He was recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict and made a career of the Air Force. Lyman was a command pilot with nearly 7000 hours flying time in complex multi-engine aircraft, including the EC-121 Super Constellation. He was an accomplished aviator and a strong leader.
Lyman served combat tours in Southeast Asia and among his many U.S. and foreign military decorations: he was awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Vietnamese Honor Medal. He retired from the Air Force in 1970.
For the past fifteen years Lyman and his wife of 65 years, Eartha Mary, have lived on the family farm where Lyman spent much of his youth. The farm has been in the family for nearly 165 years and Springfield attorney Abraham Lincoln once represented Lyman's great-great-grandmother in a legal dispute over the land.
May 17, 2006 was declared Lyman Hubbard Day in Springfield by proclamation of the mayor and city council in recognition of his service to the country. His devotion to the city and its history was reflected in his concern that the Lincoln Colored Home, a national historic property and one of the first African American orphanages in the United States, was in danger of being destroyed. In 2005, he purchased this historic Springfield property that is linked to the Dana-Thomas House.
Lyman graduated from Feitshans High School in 1944 where he was an "A" student and a star athlete in basketball, football, and track. He earned an Associates of Art degree from Springfield Junior College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA. As a youth, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and proudly abided by the Scout's oath throughout his life.
Lyman was 85 years old at the time of his death and is survived by his wife, Eartha Mary Burton Hubbard; sons, Lyman Jr., Lee, Mark; 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was the first son of the late Rev. Lyman R. Hubbard and Helen M. Locke Hubbard.
Visitation will be at the W.W. White-Pettiford Memorial Home, 1304 East Monroe, Springfield on Thursday, January 19, 2012 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM.
Burial will be at Camp Butler National Cemetery with the Sangamon County Inter-veterans Burial Detail Honor Guard performing military honors with an active U. S. Air Force Honor Guard.
Donations in lieu of flowers should be sent to: St. Vincent De'Paul Society, C/O The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 524 East Lawrence Ave., Springfield, IL 62703.
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