(KLZA)--The HTRS Public Schools Foundation is pleased to announce a recently established endowed scholarship by Cheryl Smithwick in memory of her late husband, Vaughan M. Smithwick.

He was born and raised in North Carolina. In 1963, he married Cheryl Lynne Schultz in Humboldt.

Mr. Smithwick passed away in early 2023 after a very distinguished career. He served 25 years in the military - six of which were in the Air Force with the remainder being in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Vietnam, Korea and Germany and various other places in the United States. While in Vietnam, he earned many medals of honor including the Distinguished Flying Cross. Smithwick was immensely proud to know his grandson was commissioned into the Air Force.

After retirement, Smithwick flew for Capital Airlines between Manhattan and Kansas City. He also flew as a corporate pilot for several companies in the Manhattan area. In addition, he was a commercial pilot, instructor pilot, and an aircraft mechanic.

Smithwick bought land his father-in-law was renting and farmed with him until his father-in-law retired in 1985. He farmed mainly on the weekends until he retired from the military at which time he purchased more land and moved to Humboldt in 1994. At that time, he farmed full-time during the week and worked as a helicopter pilot instructor at Fort Riley, Kan., on weekends for several years.

His passions were flying and farming. Also, Smithwick could fix anything, build anything, and sometimes he would make special tools to get the job done.

With his handiness in mind, Mrs. Smithwick has provided funds for HTRS graduates or post-secondary students who have a preference to students going to a trade school.

The HTRS Public Schools Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt foundation and a community-based nonprofit organization exclusively for the benefit and conducting the purposes of the HTRS schools. For more information about the Foundation and the contributions it has made over the years, please go to https://www.htrstitans.com/page/htrs-foundation