After losing his wife of more than 70 years on Sunday, Texas native Homer Hogues passed away this week.

According to his obituary, Homer Hogues, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, passed away this week, barely two days after his wife. He was 96.

Hogues, a native of Texas who joined the US military and rose to the rank of staff sergeant while serving as an aircraft technician for one of the first squadrons of Black military pilots, passed away on Tuesday.

Just a few days prior, on Sunday, his wife Mattie Bell passed away. Over 70 years have passed since they first got married.

Hogues joined the Army Air Corps in 1946 and flew in the 99th Pursuit Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group during World War II, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

According to the museum, Hogues “was an active representative of the Tuskegee Airmen throughout his life, giving numerous speeches and interviews about his military service.”

After leaving the military, Hogues admitted to the Dallas Morning News in 2016 that it was difficult for him to land his ideal position with an airline.

Instead, he worked on automobiles before eventually retiring from Lane’s Plating Works after 47 years of employment.

“They said the only thing I could do was gut the planes and sweep the floors and all that kind of stuff,” he told the newspaper. I considered that to be a slap in the face.

But recognition would come eventually. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2010, and two years later, he received an invitation to President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

In his obituary, it is stated that “Homer was soft spoken, kindhearted, and loved by many.” He briefly resided in a nursing facility, but was fortunate enough to be helped by numerous civic and military organizations to return home.

In addition to “a host of nieces, nephews, adopted children, and friends,” according to his obituary, Hogues is survived by his three daughters, 10 grandchildren, and more than a dozen great-grandchildren.