Leo Giles Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established by Joe Ricciardi in memory of Leo Giles
Former Delta® Airlines ground instructor Leo Giles had a contagious personality. To the many he touched, he was described as someone who, “never knew a stranger.”
Giles’ enthusiastic demeanor spread through all facets of his life, including his career in aviation. In addition to being an accomplished aviation instructor, Giles started a small business in the early 1990s repairing headsets for local Delta® pilots. To him, it was yet another way to assist the aviation community: members helping members.
His passion for flight led him to his unbridled support of youth in aviation, primarily through
EAA’s Young Eagles program. That inspiring passion is what led fellow Delta® Airline Captain Joe Ricciardi to create a scholarship in his honor, after Giles’ too-early passing in August 2006, following a takeoff accident from his home field in Georgia.
Delta® Airline Captain Joe Ricciardi
Although Ricciardi never knew Giles personally, he was motivated by his commitment to aviation education and top-quality instruction. After Giles’ death, Ricciardi decided to keep Giles’ 16-year headset repair business alive, contributing the first 10 percent of its monthly gross income toward a scholarship fund in his memory.
Ricciardi hopes that the scholarship fund will give wings to youth in EAA’s AeroScholars, Air Academy and Young Eagles programs, continuing Giles’ legacy for years to come.
“Things are expensive when starting your flight career. Leo’s passion was introducing kids to aviation through taking them up in airplane rides, and I hope that this scholarship will be the next step in helping youth defy that ultimate cost in becoming an aviation professional,” shared Ricciardi.
Ricciardi’s headset repair business, now deemed Doctor Headset, LLC, is proud to perform nearly 14 times the repairs than it did in 2006. But, through it all, Ricciardi explains that they have remained the “little big guy … the company that could.”
“Leo ran the business out of his laundry room to start, and myself out of my basement!” detailed Ricciardi, who looks forward to upholding his promise to Giles’ wife and family. “Now, we have a nice little storefront and are the third largest headset distributor in the United States. I think that’s something Leo would really be proud of.”
tribute
After Giles’ death, Ricciardi decided to keep Giles’ 16-year headset repair business alive, contributing the first 10 percent of its monthly gross income toward a scholarship fund in his memory.