Gerald Sharkey (1942-2014) was one of the founding members of Aviation Trail, Inc., and president of the organization from 1985 to 1989. He was known for his strong advocacy of protecting and preserving Dayton’s aviation history. He was at the forefront of the successful efforts to save some of the historic West Third Street buildings from demolition, and was instrumental in paving the way for the formation of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, which was established by legislation in 1992. His efforts also helped bring about the development of the surrounding Wright-Dunbar neighborhood.
He was inducted into the Dayton Walk of Fame in 2015. See his Walk of Fame story at http://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/sharkey.html