Edmond William Dosch
Widower of Audrey Ann Schneider
who died in airplane crash
July 31, 1955, with Bob
Lieutenant Colonel Edmond William Dosch, USAF Ret., beloved husband and father, courageous veteran, and devoted man of God, passed away at home with his family on February 17th, 2025.
Edmond was born to Theodore John Dosch and Florence Eddy Wetmore on September 19th, 1926, in San Francisco, California. He is preceded in death by his parents and his three brothers Theodore (Teddy), Murray, Howard (Howie), first wife Audrey Ann Schneider, second wife Evelyn Haver, and his son Brian Baru Dosch.
More often known as Ed or Captain Eddy, he not only lived close to ten decades but did more in those decades than many could do with double the time. Known for his sense of adventure and his ability to survive even the most dangerous circumstances, Ed loved his time as a test pilot for Hughes Aircraft Company, vice-president of Far East marketing, and lived his life emulating the motto “real pilots don’t eject,” (he was shot down twice in Korea and stayed with his aircraft each time) embracing every opportunity to meet a challenge and try something new. This led him to fight in WWII in the US Navy, the Korean and Vietnam Wars in the USAF, travel to and live in dozens of countries, and earn a Ph.D in International Management. In addition to his distinguished military career and time as a test pilot, he also held other positions such as Los Angeles police officer, marketing consultant, intelligence agent, university professor and more we may not even know of!
While Ed’s professional and military life was impressive, his personal life was filled with his greatest pride and accomplishment: his family. Regardless of when or where his children knew him, they each experienced his tenderness, playfulness, and enduring example of unconditional love. The time he spent as a father was always time he valued deeply.
Ed was also a dedicated member of and missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. With his eternal companion and partner in adventure for over fifty years, Pamela Lauretta Campbell (affectionately known as Pammy), he served four senior missions in Paris, France; Quebec, Canada; Knoxville, TN; and the Republic of Georgia, continuing his service well into his late eighties.
In his last years, though dotted with some health challenges, he was surrounded by family, warmth, and love. No matter what he was experiencing, Ed never lost his patience, kindness, and tenderness. And all the many healthcare workers who interacted with him came to love him. Ed often expressed his gratitude for Pammy, whom he fell in love with at first sight, for keeping him so healthy and active, even during his last weeks.
Overall, Ed leaves behind an extraordinary legacy characterized by adventure, bravery, and love, along with sixteen grandchildren, six great grandchildren, six living children—Michael, Debra, Scott, Don Campbell, Danielle Papillon, and Jordan Ramzi Bey—and, importantly, his devoted partner and spouse in all things, Pamela Dosch.
A memorial service will be held on Monday Feb 24th at 6pm at the LDS Chapel at 400 Kendall Rd. Knoxville, TN. And a burial service will be held Tuesday Feb 25th at 12:30pm at the Veteran’s Cemetery at 2200 East Governor John Sevier Highway. Knoxville, TN.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to K9s for Warriors in Ed’s honor at https://k9sforwarriors.org/
January 8, 1928-March 22, 2021
May Wynn, Bob’s co-star in two movies, was a friend, as well, and very helpful with the content of this website.
Please see the
SIDEBARS -
GALLERIES AND INFORMATION section for additional info and photos of May Wynn/Donna Custer.
Bob’s fans remember her always with warm affection.
To celebrate the anniversary of
Bob’s 95th birthdate
approxiamtely three dozen new photos have been added to the
Sidebars-Galleries and Information Beyond Pasadena:
Photographs, Postcards, and
Similar of Hollywood and
Los Angeles, c. 1920s-1950s
featuring places Bob probably knew growing up in the 1930s-1955.
February 26, 2025,
the 95th anniversary
of Robert Francis’s birth
This website honors
his brief but memorable
life and career.
Robert Francis
and
Hollywood’s
Star and Studio Systems
Dead at 25 - The Life and Sad Ending® of Robert Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXChVK_uqjE
Contains factual errors. The Francis family did not operate a pharmacy in Pasadena. No verification of Howard Hughes teaching Bob to fly has been found.
Posted January 3, 2025
https://youtu.be/knQ-62rrqZI?si=xTd0mlXtn4DAZm5n
Bill Big Anderson’s Death Tours
Information about Bob knowing and flying with Howard Hughes has not been verified from reliable sources. Bob died during the hiatis between the first effort to film “Tribute to a Bad Man” during June 1955 and the second scheduled for August 1955. Bob was buried on Wednesday, August 3, 1955.
https://youtu.be/zn8QLysZ-n0?si=pWOOjTtDQp44alav
Photo images only
https://youtu.be/5YkK8MFsxCg?si=eHV6uzhDzdTPN-yh
Video of Bob’s Grave Site
Forest Lawn
Above YouTube items posted May 2024.
Watch "#148 Remembering Actor Robert Francis!"
on YouTube
https://youtu.be/knQ-62rrqZI?si=c-gEeUrHG9lFrmkJ
Watch "ROBERT FRANCIS TRIBUTE" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/zn8QLysZ-n0?si=ydtmPRMG-MhIybMi
Above YouTube items posted December 2024.
28 images in Films - The Long Gray Line gallery were added April 2024.
All are from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Columbia Pictures Collection. All photos were taken at West Point, N.Y., in the late winter/early spring of 1954.
Thanks to DW for locating these.
https://digital.library.ucla.edu/catalog?htf8=✓&f%5Bmember_of_collections_ssim%5D%5B%5D=Columbia+Pictures+stills+and+key+books&sort=title_alpha_numeric_ssort+asc&q=robert+francis+actor&search_field=all_fields
Please remember
Bob’s sister,
Lillian Jean Francis Robins
“Fran”
June 3, 1919-
September 19, 2018
See Sidebars section for information and photos of Fran and the Francis and Robins families. Without her friendship and support, this website would not exist.
Bob with his sister Fran in the kitchen of his new apartment in Hollywood. 1955