Paul R. (Rick) Yakes, Jr., 69, of The Villages in Florida, passed away on May 13, 2025, after a brief illness.
He was born in Hannibal, Missouri on January 31, 1956, to Pauline Brooks and Paul R. Yakes, Sr. He graduated from Hannibal High School in 1974, The University of Missouri in 1982, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1992 before receiving additional post-master’s certificates. He married Dixie Lynn Foster on October 7, 2000.
Committed to serving his country, Paul enlisted in the US Army in 1975. His first active-duty military assignment was to Ft. Hood, Texas where he served as an Infantry Squad Leader in the First Cavalry Division. He was commissioned into the US Air Force after receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1982 and graduated from Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather Air Force Base, California in 1983. He went on to attend Initial KC-135 Combat Crew Training at Castle Air Force Base. Upon graduation from Castle, he moved to Offutt Air Force Base in the spring of 1984 where he was assigned to the 2nd AirborneCommand Control Squadron as a navigator on the LookingGlass. In 1986, he was assigned to the 38thStrategic Reconnaissance Squadron at Offutt AFB flying worldwide reconnaissance missions.
In 1988 Paul accepted an assignment at Eielson AFB as part of the Cobra Ball for the 24thStrategic Reconnaissance Squadron. In 1991 he was transferred to the 3909th Strategic Aircraft EvaluationSquadron, Barksdale AFB. In 1992, he left Barksdale for an assignment at the Tanker/Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB. He returned to Offutt AFB in the spring of 1994 when he became a proud member of the 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron. Having flown a total of 823 sorties in thirteen variants of the EC/KC/RC-135, T-43, and E-4B, he accumulated over 4950 flight hours. His efforts supported regional, national, and global missions, requiring him to report to at least ten posts—some of them more than once. In his 45 years of service to this nation, he traveled to 42 countries in 6 continents and earned 3 Meritorious Service Medals, 4 Air Medals, 5 Aerial Achievement Medals, 2 Air Force Commendation Medals, 5 Combat-Readiness Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal.
Throughout his career, Paul jumped at any opportunity to train which allowed him to serve as a curriculum writer, trainer, and evaluator. His life-long pledge to serve did not end after his retirement as a flight navigator from the Air Force at the rank of Major. Rather, he continued as a civilian servant to the Air Force for another 20 years, working as an analyst, director, consultant, and logistical planner. Until 2005, he acted as a Senior Director, Flight Management Specialist, Quality Assurance Specialist at PACAF Air Mobility Operations Control Center (AMOCC) (GS-13). As of 2013, Paul served as the Joint Mobility Operations Officer/Senior Transportation Specialist (GS-12). Finally, as he approached his second retirement, he was the Joint Mobility Operations Planner, (GS-13) USTRANCOM at Scott AFB.
Paul is survived by his loving wife Dixie Foster Yakes, his sisters Pam Dyke, Penny (Jeff) Smashey, and Tammy Stueve, his daughters Tabatha (Chad) Dougherty, Elisabeth (David) Hinton, and Jennifer (Darrell) Hughes, his grandchildren David Andrew, Raven Cole, Clay Miller, Brendan Paul, Khloee Elisabeth, Jude Leelan, Eleanor Jane, and Beatrix Lara, his great-granddaughter Maxine Fern, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and beyond. He is preceded in death by his mother Pauline Fern Dooley, father Paul R. Yakes, Sr., and brothers in law Bruce Stueve and Alyn Dyke.
His hobbies included traveling. woodworking, golfing, and writing. He is the published author of one novel and many short stories.
Visitation: Friends may visit from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Thursday, May 29th, 2025, at Kurrus Funeral Home in Belleville, IL.
Graveside Service: A Funeral Procession will leave Kurrus Funeral Home at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 29th, 2025, for a 1:30 p.m. Graveside Service with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, MO. (2900 Sheridan Rd. St. Louis, MO)
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to either the American Legion at www.legion.org, the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org, The Gary Sinise Foundation at www.garysinisefoundation.org, or your local VFW.
