~ IN MEMORY ~
NWA Capt. Harry A. Detwiler
May 3, 1922 ~ January 20, 2013
Word has been received with the passing of WWII veteran,
retired NWA pilot and RNPA member Captain Harry Andrew Detwiler, age 90.
Captain Detwiler hired on with Northwest 06-23-1949 and retired at the mandatory
age 60 in 1982.
To view/sign the online guestbook please visit the funeral
home website at www.mcdonaldschapel.com/
Survived by his wife Nancy personal condolences
may be sent to
their home at
1643 Spanish Bay Drive, Redding CA 96003-1541 ... (530)
241-8079
A memorial service will take place at a
later date at the the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo,
California.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry Andrew Detwiler, 90, passed away on
January 20, 2013. He was born May 3, 1922 to Ray and Anna Detwiler in Raymond
Nebraska. He graduated from Raymond High School and attended the University of
Nebraska. While working for his uncle's flight school, he learned to fly which
had been his childhood dream.
During WWII, he was 21 when he enlisted
as a naval aviation cadet in June of 1942. He was commissioned as Second
Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in March 1943, following flight training at
Pensacola, Florida. He went to Cherry Point, N.C. and was attached to VMSB-341
bombing squadron. Harry flew many combat missions in his sturdy "Dauntless" as
a dive bomber pilot in the Solomon Islands.
Harry came home a Captain earning many
medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a flight instructor for
two years at Bremerton airfield and following a brief employment with TWA, was
hired on with Northwest Orient Airlines. Harry met the love of his life, Nancy,
who was a stewardess with NWA. They were married in 1956 and raised three
children together in Seattle and Enumclaw, WA. He loved to golf, ski, was an
avid reader, and travel with his family. Harry flew for NWA for 33 years,
retiring as a Captain. Upon retirement he bought a small plane so he could
continue to fly and they took many wonderful trips together.
He enjoyed his small ranch in Enumclaw
before moving to San Jose del Cabo with Nancy where they shared many happy and
wonderful times with their children and grandchildren. They moved to Redding,
California in 2001 and built their last home together.
Harry was a member of the Sir's, the Sons
of Italy, the Elks, the Retired NW Pilots Assoc, and the United Methodist
Church.
He is survived by his loving wife Nancy,
son David Detwiler of Redding, Ca; son Douglas Detwiler (Kim) of Bonneylake Wa;
and daughter Polly Kranz (Tim) of Enumclaw Wa. Harry has seven grandchildren
that were the light of his life.
Everyone who knew Harry knows what a
sweet, gentle, kind man he was. He will be greatly missed and was loved by us
all so much.
A memorial service will take place at a
later date at the Veteran's Cemetery in Igo. Please sign the guestbook at
McDonalds Chapel.com
'Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of
earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings' Fly on, Dad!
.Published in Redding Record Searchlight
on January 26, 2013
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