The family of Capt. Edwin Robbins “Rory” DuPont Jr. is deeply saddened to announce his death on April 13.
Capt. DuPont, 49, of Seymour, was born on Feb. 14, 1977, in Jacksonville, Fla., to Edwin R. DuPont Sr. and Blanche Burt DuPont. He was a third-generation U.S. Navy aviator. He met his wife of almost 25 years at the University of Florida in 1997, and they married on Dec. 29, 2001.
Capt. DuPont received his commission as a naval officer in 2000 and continued to serve until he passed away as a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. A fighter pilot and graduate of Top Gun, Capt. DuPont flew the F/A-18, F-5, and T-45 as an instructor pilot over multiple combat tours and aircraft-carrier deployments. In 2012, he and his family moved to Bogotá, Colombia, for a short time to work for the American Embassy in Diplomatic Affairs.
In 2013, in order to focus more on family, Capt. DuPont joined the U.S. Navy Reserve and began work as a performance consultant and business development lead for Latin America at Check-6 Int’l Inc. Meanwhile, he continued flying and pursuing his naval career with multiple command tours, including commanding officer of Fighter Composite Squadron 111 in Key West, Fla. (2018), commander of Training Air Wing One Reserve in Meridian, Miss. (2020), commander of the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center Reserve in Fallon, N.V. (2022), and as vice commander, Commander Naval Forces Korea.
In addition to his extensive career ambitions, Capt. DuPont was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Troops of St. George, and a captain in Fraternus. His work with Delta allowed him to travel all over the world, often with his family in tow, and participate in the international community of the faithful, observing firsthand their beautiful works.
Despite a wide breadth of commitments and activities, Capt. DuPont was passionate about putting his faith at the forefront of all that he did individually and with his family. He will always be remembered for his never-ending zest for squeezing the life out of life every single day and for his quick, witty sense of humor. When faced with difficulty or adversity, he quickly quipped his motto, “Just another adventure!” that immediately became the family motto for him and his wife, Carolina.
Capt. DuPont was a true and proudly devoted family man who deeply loved and lived for his family. Some of his favorite family activities were traveling, hiking in the Smokies, flying, hunting, camping, fishing, and cooking.
Capt. DuPont is survived by his wife, Carolina, and their children, John Andrew, Madeleine Isabel, and Rhett Thomas DuPont; and a sister, Brandi Zetrouer, and her family.
A rosary for Capt. DuPont was prayed on April 23 at Bridges Funeral Home in Knoxville. A funeral Mass for Capt. DuPont was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on April 24, with Father Michael Hendershott serving as the celebrant. A burial service at Holy Cross Cemetery in Farragut followed the Mass.