Richard “Dick” McClung, 83, of Rockford, IL passed away on February 14, 2026 as a result of having a mechanical failure on the aircraft he was flying. He was born on January 24, 1943, in Glendale, CA. The son of Alvin Junius McClung Jr, and Narelle Harriet Kroeger McClung.

Richard got his degree in engineering and marketing from the University of Miami. He worked for many years in the Aerospace industry as a marketing engineer at Hamilton Sundstrand in Rockford, IL, as well as General Electric in Pennsylvania. He also flew commercially for PanAm for some time.

He was ultimately raised by his mother, in Miami FL and had learned to fly at the very young age of 14. He spent some time in Wattsburg PA, before settling down in Rockford IL from 1979 until 2026.

He had 10’s of thousands of flight hours in his life. Something he never gave up until the end. He was knowledgeable in many technological things as well as enjoyed science. He always had a love for building. He built the house they had in Pennsylvania, built a Seahawk Amphibian airplane, and built many boats throughout his life. He also had a great skill in building smaller model boats and built over 50 of them by hand. He had a love for his family, and tried his best in all the ways he knew how. He always had goofy jokes, ones that will continue to live on, and a great sense of humor despite the challenges in his life.

He is Survived by his children, Audrey Carlson (Mike), Jordan McClung, Deon McClung (Christine), Casey McClung (Joy). Former Spouse, Christine Davidson. He is also survived by his Grandchildren, Mikayla, Kembrie, Elsie, Zachary and Timothy.

He is preceded in death by his parents; Narelle Harriet Kroeger and Alvin Junius McClung Jr, as well as his son Justin who passed shortly after his birth.

A Graveside Service will be on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Arlington Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations and memorials may be made to the family.