Humphrey toomey

Humphrey Toomey was the leader of the Pan American Airlines search party tasked with trekking through the Amazon to find the Clipper Good Hope.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 10—Humphrey W. Toomey, a retired vice president of Pan American World Airways, has been found shot to death in an apartment here, a spokesman for the airline said today.

Homicide detectives were investigating the death of Mr. Toomey, an aviation pioneer, who was 74 years old.

His body was found in a daughter's apartment in the Copacabana Beach area by a maid shortly after noon yesterday. The police were not called until the evening.

Mr. Toomey had died of a .38‐caliber bullet wound in the abdomen. A second bullet had passed through a chair without hitting him.
Mr. Toomey's daughter, Gail, had spent the night with friends so that her father could have the exclusive use of the apartment. A family dog was missing. There was no evidence of struggle or robbery, a police official said.

Mr. Toomey, who lived in Coral Gables, Fla., made frequent visits to Brazil, where he held property and had many friends in aviation circles.

Forty‐five years ago he was the pilot the first commercial airline flight on the MiamiRio de Janeiro‐Buenos Aires route, flying a Sikorsky Amphibian aircraft. Later he became vice president in charge of Pan American's Latin‐American division.

He is survived by his wife, Rotraud Toomey, and five daughters.
 - NY Times