Capt. Del Asbury was born on a farm in Jackson County Illinois. He attended Southern Illinois Normal University, Carbondale, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, flying C‑47 Dakotas, in part towing gliders carrying paratroopers. After the war, he flew on the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1949, flying C‑47s and C‑54s. He then joined Seaboard on July 29, 1950. He moved to Oakland, Calif. during Seaboard's Korean War operation. He left Seaboard in the mid 1950s to take a job with Morrison-Knudson, a multi-national construction company. He flew for them until shortly before his death. He grew with their flight department from a Twin Beech 18 to a Lockheed Jetstar II and de Havilland 125. He was their only pilot with transoceanic experience when they bought their new Jetstar. Many trips were logged to Japan, and Brazil as well as Prudhoe Bay Alaska when M‑K was a prime contractor on the Alaska pipeline.
Del died in Boise, Idaho in January 1982, He was survived by his daughter, Mardel "Mardi" Crandall of Florida; his son, Charles "Chuck" Asbury of Kansas; one granddaughter, Jessica Crandall; and his wife Laurel of the home in Boise.
Del is seen here in a Lockheed Jetstar II owned by Morrison‑Knudson