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___ PCN FLIGHT WEST is sponsored by the Pilot Communication Network and is a service of the PCN provided for the Delta Pilot Retired family of pilot groups. Flight West was started and is maintained to accomplish two main goals. After we become aware of a colleague who has Flown West, 1. We aim to produce a “timely” notice sent to our community that allows for support and interaction from our group toward the grieving family of our friend and colleague. 2. Then, we aim to “archive” that notice on our Flown West Blogspot as a lasting accessible place of Dignity and Honor of our colleague for family legacy and posterity. Contributor contact info is generally removed before posting (unless requested otherwise).

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Friday, March 29, 2024

DL Capt. Ronald E. Ries

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, DL Capt. Ronald E. Ries

May 7, 1945 ~ March 23, 2024

 


Notice of passing…..retired Delta Air Lines pilot Captain Ronald Everett Ries, age 78.  Captain Ries joined Delta Air Lines 02-26-1973 and retired with Delta October 2000, based 030/SLC.  He is survived by his wife Janet, and by his children and their families.

To view the obituary and share memories, please visit the funeral home website at

https://www.kayserschapel.com/obituaries/Ronald-Ries/#!/TributeWall 

Obituary information can also be viewed at

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ronald-ries-obituary?id=54747952 

PCN memorial site

 

FUNERAL HOME: Kayser's Chapel & Crematory, 831 South Pioneer Way, Moses Lake WA

Ronald Ries Obituary

Ronald E. Ries, 78, passed away on March 23, 2024, at Samaritan Hospital. Ronald was a modest and private man whose last wishes included a request that no services be held. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.

Ronald was born on May 7, 1945, in Long Beach, California, the son of the late Darrell and Mary Ellen Ries. His family moved to Moses Lake in 1949. He graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1963. He met his future wife, Janet N. Ries, while attending college to whom he was married in 1965, in Ephrata. In 1967, Ronald graduated from Central Washington University with a B.A. in Business and Accounting and enlisted in the Air Force.

In the service, Ronald received flight training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona and pilot-instructor training in Panama City, Florida. From 1969 to 1972, Ronald was assigned to Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as a flight instructor. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1972, after which he enrolled in the Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane. While attending law school, he was hired as a pilot by Delta Airlines, enabling him to continue to pursue his passion for aviation. From 1973 to 1977, he lived in Houston, Texas, before returning to Moses Lake. He retired from Delta in 2000. In retirement, he enjoyed flying gliders and tow aircraft in Ephrata, riding motorcycles, watching his grandchildren's athletic pursuits, Gonzaga basketball and golf.

Ronald is survived by his wife, Janet, his son, Christopher Ries, his daughter Kimberly Ries Ashley, his son-in-law Justin Ashley, and his grandchildren, Peyton Ries, Savannah Ashley, Everett Ashley and Sydney Ries. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Harry Ries.

Ronald is remembered by his family as a good and humble gentleman who prioritized providing for and protecting his loved ones. He taught his children commonsense and a strong understanding of right and wrong and instilled in them and his grandchildren a love of baseball and softball. Above all else, he was thankful for and loved his wife. Ronald will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his name are suggested to the Columbia Basin Cancer Foundation, 1031 W. Broadway Ave., Moses Lake, WA 98837.

 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

DL Capt. Thomas B "Tom" O’Brien

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

Navy veteran, DL Capt. Thomas B "Tom" O’Brien

October 1, 1943 ~ March 23, 2024

 


Notice of passing…..retired Delta Air Lines pilot Captain Thomas Burke "Tom" O’Brien Jr., age 80.  Tom joined Delta Air Lines 06-19-1970 and was based 030/BOS.  

Obituary information is available online at

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/thomas-obrien-obituary?id=54737521

PCN memorial site 

 

Obituary :  Thomas B. O'Brien, 80, of Durham, Wolfeboro, and Amherst, NH, died on March 23, 2024 at RiverWoods Durham surrounded by his loving family. Tom was born in Pittsburgh, PA on October 1, 1943, son of the late Thomas and Dorothy O'Brien. He was the beloved husband of Mary (Simler) O'Brien, and is survived by his son Douglas O'Brien and daughter-in-law Susan O'Brien of Walpole, MA and grandchildren Jennifer, Daniel and Kevin O'Brien; his daughter Karen O'Brien and son-in-law Gary Romano of Lynnfield, MA and grandchildren Benjamin and Finnian Romano; his brother Edward O'Brien and sister in-law Susan O'Brien, of Silverthorne, CO, and niece Heather Greene of Eagle, CO; his sister Suzanne O'Brien Paulsen (predeceased) of San Francisco CA, and nieces Bridget Doll and Kate Paulsen of San Anselmo, CA.

 

Tom graduated from Shaler High School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania (1961), and Saint Francis University, Loretto Pennsylvania (1965), where he met Mary. They were married after graduation. Tom served in the United States Navy from 1965-1970 as a Naval Aviator of the submarine reconnaissance aircraft, the P3-Orion, based in San Francisco and Tokyo. Upon honorable discharge, he joined Delta Airlines as a commercial airline pilot for over 25 years. Tom shared his passion for flying as a flight instructor both in the Navy and with Delta airlines. Tom and Mary raised their children in Amherst, NH where Tom taught the kids to swim, hike, and fly in his favorite plane, a blue and white Citabria two-seater sport plane.

 

In 1996, Tom and Mary moved to Wolfeboro, NH where they lived until 2019. Tom loved Lake Winnipesaukee and had a deep commitment to the community in Wolfeboro. Tom was involved from the earliest days in the development and building of The Nick Recreation Park. It was one of his greatest joys to be a part of creating space for all ages to gather in Wolfeboro. He remains recognized as Director Emeritus, and honorably one of the sports fields bears his name. During his years in Wolfeboro, Tom also served as President of the Wolfeboro Lions Club, a vestryman at All Saints Church, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, a Trustee of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, and Chairman of the Campaign to Protect Sewall Woods. In his spare time, Tom enjoyed golf, skiing, and traversing Lake Winnipesaukee in his boat while searching for Loons.

 

A ceremony in honor of Tom will be held on April 26 at Riverwoods, 14 Stone Quarry Drive, River Woods Durham.

 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Nick Recreation Park at https://thenick.org/ways-to-give

 

Monday, March 25, 2024

DL Capt. Lawrence Robert Casey

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

DL Capt. Lawrence Robert Casey

August 8, 1943 ~ November 2023

 

As noted in the March issue of the ALPA magazine’s In Memoriam column….the November passing of Delta Air Lines Capt. Lawrence R. Casey.  Captain Casey joined Delta Air Lines 9-25-1972 and was Atlanta based.  I believe he had most recently resided in Florida. 

I was not able to locate any other information….please let us know if you have more to share.

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN

PCN memorial site

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

NWA Capt. Keith Leonard Deaver

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

WWII veteran, NWA Capt. Keith Leonard Deaver

July 6, 1923 - December 23, 2023

 



As noted in the March issue of ALPA’s magazine…..the passing of Northwest Airlines Captain Keith L. Deaver of Black Diamond, Washington.  Keith joined Northwest Airlines 03-30-1948 I believe as a mechanic, then Flight Engineer and retired with Northwest Airlines as a Captain in 1983. Widowed in 2009 with the passing of his wife Edna, Keith is survived by four of their children and by his grand- and greatgrandchildren.

Family photos and obituary information can be found online at https://everloved.com/life-of/keith-deaver/obituary/

PCN memorial site

 

Keith's obituary

Keith Deaver was born on July 6, 1923 on his grandfather’s farm in Nebraska in the same house where his mother was born. He was raised in Des Moines, Iowa but from the time he was 12 years old, he would spend two months at his grandfather’s farm in Nebraska each summer. His job there was herding the milk cows along the rural roads for feed, helping with the milking twice a day, and helping with other jobs especially during haying and grain threshing times. He also kept his grandmother supplied with corn cobs for the cook stove.

 

During his last two years of high school, Keith worked for Western Union, delivering telegrams on a bicycle, even in the winter, earning 30 cents an hour. Keith was always interested in electrical and mechanical things as well as wood working. As a kid, he fixed bicycles in the neighborhood.

 

After graduating from high school in June, 1941, Keith joined the Navy. On December 7, 1941, he was going through aircraft mechanics school in Jacksonville, Florida. Once the US became involved in WWII, he spent a year in the South Pacific on the USS Essex aircraft carrier as a mechanic. His brother-in-law, Karl Kottmeier, was on the same ship.

 

When he returned from the South Pacific and went through Navy flight school, he got his wings and commission, flying the PB4s and other Navy airplanes. When the war was over in 1945, he married Edna who was a Navy WAVE he met while in flight school. She was his Link Trainer instrument instructor. They raised five children and were married almost 64 years when she passed away in 2009.

 

At the end of the war, Keith went to Parks Air College in East St. Louis, Illinois under the GI bill and was hired by Northwest Airlines in 1948 as an aircraft mechanic. His 35-year career with Northwest started with flying as a flight engineer on the 377 Stratocruiser in 1949. That same year, Keith and Edna moved to Seattle where Northwest Airlines was based. In 1963, Keith went on the pilot’s list, flying copilot on the 747, captain on the 707 and 727, and retired on the DC-10 in 1983.

 

Keith died on December 23, 2023, at the age of 100, in the home he built himself. He will be buried at Tahoma National Cemetery in Covington, Washington, alongside his wife. Keith was predeceased by his youngest son, Daniel Deaver, in 1984, his wife, Edna Deaver, in 2009, and a grandson, Kevin Reed, in 2022. He is survived by his son, David Deaver, daughter Diane Cunnington (Dale), and daughters Linda Tew and Carolyn Reed, along with nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.-------The memorial service will be on Friday, January 12, 2023 at Lake Sawyer Christian Church in Black Diamond, WA.

 

*****************************

Name        EDNA Behringer Deaver

Birth Date          23 Apr 1918

Death Date        22 Sep 2009

 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

NWA Capt. Wayne Leon Spohn

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

Military veteran, NWA Capt. Wayne Leon Spohn

October 6, 1932 ~ March 5, 2024

 






From family and friends, we have learned that retired Northwest Airlines pilot Captain Wayne Spohn has passed.  Captain Spohn joined Northwest Airlines 12-13-1958.  He is survived by his wife Elizabeth “Betty”, and had most recently resided in Bellevue, Washington.  

No other information is available at this time….please look for updates in the days ahead.

Thank you,

~ Carol for the PCN 

PCN memorial site  


   Captain Wayne Spohn, age 91, passed away at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Washington. He was born in Niles, KS and after his parents  moved to a farm near Culver, KS, he attended grade and high school there. Wayne was a good student; he especially enjoyed sports and spent no small amount of time at home doing farm chores. There were eight children in the Spohn family, Wayne was in the middle of the clan, and they all grew up on the Kansas farm.

     Wayne wanted to be a Navy pilot and in pursuit of that objective he joined the Navy Reserve program at Olathe, KS while attending Kansas Wesleyan University. In August 1954, after two years of college, Wayne entered USN active duty as a Naval Aviation Cadet. His military and flight training began at the traditional NAS Pensacola, FL. After primary flight training, Wayne was transferred to NAS Hutchinson in Kansas for advanced flight training. At NAS Hutchinson he acquired his USN Commission and Navy pilot “wings of gold”.  After his initial active-duty assignments, Wayne stayed in the Navy Reserve program retiring as a Commander.

   Wayne met Betty Tourbier at Kansas Wesleyan University and they were married in April 20, 1958 at Salina, KS. Their first active-duty station was at NAS Whidbey Island in Washington State. Wayne served overseas with his Navy patrol squadron (VP-17) in Okinawa and Japan. In December of 1958 (thanks to a message from NWA Pilot, Andy Anderson) he was hired as a pilot by Northwest Airline. A move to the Minneapolis, MN area soon followed thereafter. Remembering how much they had previously enjoyed the Pacific Northwest, Wayne requested a transfer to Seattle. Unfortunately, in the early 1960s NWA pilots felt the sharp pain of layoffs. Having been laid off by NWA, Wayne opted to return to USN Squadron VR-7, at NAS Moffett, serving an addition three years. In late 1964 Wayne was recalled by NWA. By 1966, Wayne was back in SEA, where he remained for the rest of his career. He flew many different aircraft, including the Boeing 747. Wayne loved his time with Northwest --- after retiring, when asked if he missed flying, he replied “Yes, but even more, I missed the camaraderie”.

   The mandatory age 60 retirement came a bit early. Mandatory retirement allowed Betty and Wayne to do a bit more travelling, to see the family in Kansas more often, and to spend ten winters in the California desert where they loved having guests and exploring the area. During that time, Wayne very much enjoyed get-togethers with Navy and NWA friends who were also in the desert, and he helped organize such reunions.     

   Wayne enjoyed cars, golfing, and helping neighbors with handy-man type tasks, sports and he loved music, his family and returning to Kansas to help with harvest.   

Obit Photo Wayne Spohn

   Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, 4 brothers and one sister.   He is survived by his wife, Betty, daughter, Lynn (Bryan) and son, Doug (Catherine) and granddaughter, Natalie, 2 sisters in Kansas and many nephews and nieces.

   A Celebration of Life service will be held at Newport Presbyterian Church, Bellevue WA on May 11 at 11 a.m.

(-Spohn family and Bill Day)

NWA/DL pilot David Allen Mercer

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

NWA/DL pilot David Allen Mercer

June 27, 1962 ~ March 8, 2024

 


Notice of passing….. Northwest Airlines/Delta Air Lines pilot David Allen Mercer, age 61.  David joined Northwest Airlines 06-15-1998 and was Detroit based with Delta Air Lines.  He is survived by his sister Deborah and her family.

Obituary information is available online at

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/david-mercer-obituary?id=54649874

  PCN memorial site

 

David Mercer Obituary

David Allen Mercer, 61, passed away unexpectedly on March 8, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Dave was born on June 27, 1962 to his parents, Maurice and Nancy in Flushing, New York, and was raised alongside his sister, Deborah in Miami, FL. He graduated from Palmetto High School in 1980, and went on to earn his Masters degree in Accounting from the University of Miami. Dave started his career as an accountant at KPMG, before setting out in pursuit of his pilot license. Becoming an airline pilot was Dave's dream, and his career at Northwest/Delta Airlines was the perfect way for Dave to do what he enjoyed most.

Besides spending time with family and friends, Dave loved to explore the world. He embraced each destination with an open heart and curious mind, immersing himself fully in the culture, sites and sounds of every place he visited. Dave found joy in forging connections with people from all walks of life, and would take long walks in local towns and parks, always making friends along the way. One of Dave's favorite places to visit was New York City. Being born in Flushing, he had a special bond with the surrounding areas and made sure to try to visit every year for his birthday. He frequently visited Romania to visit with his girlfriend's family, and in winter months, he would go on family ski trips to Colorado.

Dave was a regular contributor to his alma mater as well as Saint Jude Children's Hospital.

Dave is preceded in death by his parents, Maurice and Nancy.

He will be dearly missed by those who survive him: sister, Deborah (Bill), and their children, Alexa, Will, Sam; aunt, Alice; cousins, Kris, Eric, and Jeff; significant other, Georgeta; and many extended family members and friends.

Per Dave's wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family celebration will be held at a later date.

 

"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the Earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return"

~ Leonardo Da Vinci

Thursday, March 14, 2024

DL Capt. Richard "Dick" Dwight Ward

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, DL Capt. Richard "Dick" Ward

March 29, 1935 - March 12, 2024

 


Notice of passing….retired Delta Air Lines pilot Captain Richard "Dick" Dwight Ward, age 88.  Dick joined Delta Air Lines 12-18-1961 and was based Atlanta.  He is survived by his wife Jeanine, and by his children and their families.

Obituary information is available and share memories online at

https://www.moodydaniel.com/obituary/richard-dick-ward 

PCN memorial site

 

Richard "Dick" Ward obituary

Mr. Richard Dwight Ward, Dick, age 88 of Williamson, passed away March 12, 2024, at Brightmoor Hospice. He was born in Patton, Missouri and was the son of the late George Alexander Ward and Freda Miinch Ward.

 

Dick married the love of his life, Iris Jeanine Knight, and the two soon move from Cape Girardeau, Missouri to Georgia when Dick became a pilot for Delta Airlines. He loved to fly with his whole being and saw his job as his playground in the sky instead of work. Between trips, he farmed his land and was an active member of Williamson Methodist Church and served on the Pike County Board of Education for approximately 13 years. He was a staunch conservative and an extraordinary man and role model for his family. He also served in the Air Force for four years during peace times and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

 

Dick Ward checked off all the boxes of his bucket list and left this world “with his boots on.” No regrets. A novice photographer he photographed 1000 beautiful sunsets and sunrises and took pictures around the world to include the Irish Cliffs of Moher, the Vatican, the Kremlin, Barcelona, Germany, Paris, England, Korea, Hawaii, and many more—taking Jeanine on many international trips before his retirement. He was a Captain with Delta Airlines for 33 years. Beside the airstrip on the family property, there is now a remote control aircraft field named for him—Ward Field—launching a few new lovers of flight.

 

Dick is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Jeanine; sister, Sandy Smith, and her husband, John. He was a dedicated and loving father to his children, Terri Ward Patterson, and her husband, John; Rick Ward, and his wife, Julie; Tammy Ward Deluzio, and her husband, Greg.  He was a great inspiration and role model to his surviving grandchildren: Taylor Hardy, Daniel Deluzio, Gavin Ward, Preston Ward, Jake Patterson, and Allie Patterson.  He is also survived by his niece Rebecca Smith and his nephew John Smith as well as several step great grandchildren.

 

Friends may join the family for the visitation at Williamson Methodist Church on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 1 PM. The funeral will also be at the church beginning at 2:00 PM. The burial will follow the service in the church cemetery.

 

We were blessed to have Dick Ward in our lives, even though he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s some 13 years ago. He began medication which slowed the progression of his disease, allowing us many more good years with him. We encourage everyone who is concerned with memory issues to get checked out and utilize medication—both holistic and prescription—and continue to pray for an end to this horrific robbing disease. Perhaps one day early prevention will be the cure.

 

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Williamson Methodist Church.

 

 

Eleanor May "Trixie' Roedema, wife of DL Capt. Chuck Roedema

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

Eleanor May Roedema, wife of DL Capt. Chuck Roedema

May 6, 1935 – Mar 11, 2024

 


Notice of passing…. Mrs. Eleanor May “Trixie” Roedema, wife of Dallas based retired Delta Air Lines pilot Capt. Charles L. “Chuck” Roedema.

Obituary information for Mrs. Roedema is available online at

https://www.billdeberry.com/obituary/eleanor-roedema  also at

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/eleanor-roedema-obituary?pid=206541759

PCN memorial site

For those wishing to send condolences, I see the family’s address listed in whitepages as

1004 Lynhurst Lane

Denton, TX 76205

 

Obituary

Eleanor Roedema known to all as Trixie passed away on March 11, 2024, in Corinth, Texas. She battled vascular dementia for years and regrettably dementia took her. She was born to Rinaldo and Alice Antinone on May 6, 1935, in Fort Clark, Brackettville, Texas. She grew up in Del Rio, Texas where many of her relatives had settled.  Her ancestry on her maternal side dates back to the 1800’s, she loved Texas. Trixie was a striking woman, six feet tall, a natural born red-head and a lady. Trixie was an artist, she is a published poet, she never met a dog she didn’t like, and she had a special place in her heart for bloodhounds. She supported the humane treatment of all animals including wildlife.

 

Trixie was patriotic and loved our country. Her father, brother and husband were and are combat veterans, she was deeply devoted to them. She genuinely cared about people, never missed someone’s birthday, advocated for animals who were abused, suffered or abandoned. She was kind, considerate, compassionate, thoughtful and extra sassy.

 

Trixie was married almost sixty years to Chuck Roedema who was an AirForce pilot and retired from Delta Airlines. Their home was the beloved “ Lynhurst Lane “in Denton Texas a favorite spot to drive by at Christmas.

People drove from miles away to see the beautiful lights, decorations and animated Christmas villages and many times they were featured in the Denton Chronicle back in the day when people subscribed to the paper.

 

She will always be remembered for her kindness and strength, her love of her family and traditions, she was a Christian and I pray she is in heaven in a new body with her family sharing a glass of the best iced tea I ever had.

 

A Graveside service will be held at 1:00 PM, Friday, March 15, 2024, at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton, Texas.

 

Eleanor is survived by her husband Chuck Roedema, her daughter Catherine White, her son-in-law Robert Wunderlich and her sister Toni Roman.

 

 

WA/DL Capt. Wilbert Clinton “Bill” Joslyn

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

WA/DL Capt. Wilbert Clinton “Bill” Joslyn

March 25, 1935 - August 17, 2023

 


We have just learned that retired Western/Delta pilot Captain Bill Joslyn passed last summer.  Captain Wilbert Clinton “Bill” Joslyn joined Western Airlines 01-20-1964 and was Dallas based at the time that he retired with Delta Air Lines.  Bill is survived by his wife Kay, and by his sons and their families.

Obituary information with a family photo album is available online at

https://www.memorialchapelsandcrematory.com/obituaries/Wilbert-Joslyn/#!/TributeWall

Gravesite information:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/258134043/wilbert-clinton-joslyn

PCN memorial site

 

Obituary for Wilbert Clinton "Bill" Joslyn

Wilbert Clinton “Bill” Joslyn, 88 of Nixa, formerly of Lebanon, a retired commercial airline pilot, passed away Thursday morning, August 17, 2023, in The Castlewood Senior Living Center, Nixa.

 

A memorial gathering will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, September 10, 2023 in The Castlewood Senior Living event room. Private family burial will be in the Atchley-Blackfoot Cemetery, Lebanon, Missouri. Arrangements under direction of Memorial Chapels and Crematory Waynesville/St. Robert.

 

Bill is survived by his wife, Kay Joslyn; four sons, Bill (Kristin) Joslyn of Bear Lake, Michigan, Bob (Krystal) Joslyn of Nixa, Ray (Stacy) Joslyn of Olathe, Kansas and Allen (Vicky) Joslyn of Camdenton; six grandchildren, Clinton (Kami) Joslyn, Marina Joslyn, Johnna Joslyn, Riley (Lauren) Joslyn, Reid and Ayden Joslyn; one great grandchild, River Joslyn; two sisters, Sallie Dickinson and Edwina (Ken) Braboy all of Lebanon; sister-in-law, Beverly Joslyn of Lebanon; brother-in-law, Don Notham of Cudahy, Wisconsin; sister and brother-in-law, Jan (Bob) Neuser of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; several nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews; cousins and many friends.

 

Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Bill Joslyn and sent to Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville/St. Robert. Please make checks payable to Kay Joslyn, as she will be donating to several organizations that are important to the family.

Monday, March 11, 2024

BN/NAL/PAA/DL Capt. Donald Frank McCredie

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, BN/NAL/PAA/DL Capt. Donald Frank McCredie

June 5, 1939 ~ March 8, 2024

 


Notice of passing….retired Braniff/National/Pan Am/Delta Air Lines pilot Captain Donald Frank McCredie, age 84.  I believe Don joined National Airlines 10-01-1967.  He retired with Delta Air lines June 1999 based 030/ATL.  Widowed in June of 2023 with the passing of his wife Annette, Don is survived by his children and grandchildren.

Obituary information can be found online at

https://www.tmralph.com/obituaries/donald-mccredie  also at

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/donald-mccredie-obituary?id=54584220

 

PCN memorial site

Donald McCredie Obituary

Donald Frank McCredie, born on June 5, 1939, in Port Arthur, Texas, departed peacefully on March 8, 2024, in Plantation, Florida, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, dedication, and love. He lived a life of quiet strength and unwavering commitment to his family.

 

In 1949, Donald's path intersected with that of his life long love, Annette, in Auburn, Illinois. Their marriage, flourished for 62 years until Annette's passing in June 2023, and was a testament to the enduring power of love and partnership.

 

Donald's career as an airline pilot spanned decades, encompassing Braniff, National, Pan Am, and Delta Airlines. His steady hand and calm demeanor in the cockpit earned him the respect of his colleagues and the confidence of the many travelers who entrusted their journeys to his care.

 

Before his career with the airlines, Donald served his country in the Air Force and pursued his education at Southern Illinois University. His dedication to duty and pursuit of excellence set a standard for those who followed in his footsteps.

 

Donald's love for his family knew no bounds. As a devoted husband to Annette and a loving father to Bradley (Penny) McCredie and Sharon (Steve) Brasgalla, he provided a steadfast anchor at all times. His grandchildren, Austin McCredie, Madison Tsai and Elizabeth Brasgalla, were the light of his life, and he cherished every moment spent with them.

 

In his passing, Donald is reunited with his parents, Elizabeth and Edward McCredie, and his beloved Annette. He is survived by his brother Roger McCredie who still resides in their hometown of Auburn Illinois. Though his physical presence may be gone, his spirit lives on in the memories of those who knew and loved him.

 

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 19 from 4:00-7:00pm at T.M. Ralph Funeral Home, 7001 NW 4th St, Plantation, FL 33317.   You are invited to join the family for a celebration of Donald's life on Wednesday, March 20 at 11:00am at Plantation United Methodist Church, 1001 NW 70th Ave, Plantation, FL 33313.

 

 In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Plantation United Methodist Church in his memory.

 

…………………………………………….

 


https://www.tmralph.com/obituaries/annette-mccredie

Annette Louise McCredie

April 8, 1939 — June 3, 2023

Annette Louise McCredie, age 84, of Plantation, Florida passed away on June 3, 2023, surrounded by the love of her family.  She was born on April 8, 1939 in Auburn, Illinois, to the late George and Chassa Bartolazzi.  She is survived by her devoted husband of 62 years, Donald Frank McCredie; her loving children Sharon (Steve) Brasgalla, Bradley (Penny) McCredie; her grandchildren Elizabeth Brasgalla, Austin and Madison McCredie; and her siblings Donna Bartolazzi, Tom (Kathy) Bartolazzi, Jean (Bob) Grosso………………………………

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

~ IN MEMORY ~

Annette Louise McCredie

April 8, 1939 ~ June 3, 2024

 

....widow of DL Capt. Donald Frank McCredie

Please visit https://pcnflightwest.blogspot.com/2024/03/bnnalpaadl-capt-donald-frank-mccredie.html

Also

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/annette-mccredie-obituary?id=56101472

 

Annette McCredie Obituary

Annette Louise McCredie, 84, passed away June 3, 2023, in Plantation, Florida. Her husband of 62 years, Donald Frank McCredie, 84, died March 8, 2024, in Plantation, Florida.

Annette was born April 8, 1939, in Auburn to the late George and Chassa Bartolazzi. Donald, the oldest son of Edward and Elizabeth McCredie, was born the same year, on June 5, in Port Arthur, Texas. Don's family moved to Auburn in 1948, and, a year later, he met Annette. It was the beginning of a lifetime together, filled with love, laughter and the arrival of children and, later, grandchildren.

They are survived by their daughter, Sharon (Steve) Brasgalla, of Plantation, Florida, and their son, Bradley (Penny) McCredie, of Austin, Texas; by their grandchildren, Elizabeth Brasgalla, Austin McCredie and Madison (Kyle) Tsai. Annette is also survived by her siblings Tom (Kathy) Bartolazzi and Jean (Bob) Grosso. Don is survived by his brother Roger (PJ) McCredie, who still resides in the McCredie's family home in Auburn.

Don graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and served in the U.S. Air Force. He then began his long career as a commercial airline pilot, flying for Braniff, National, Pan Am and Delta airlines, before retiring in 1999. During those years, Annette managed their home and spent many of her free moments playing tennis, golf and bridge. They were active in their church - the Plantation United Methodist Church - and, after Don's retirement, they enjoyed traveling and spending even more time with their grandchildren.

Inurnment services will be held at the Auburn Cemetery on Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

WA/DL .. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mallory “Mal” Hope Ferrell

 

~ IN MEMORY ~

USAF veteran, WA/DL pilot/author Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mallory “Mal” Hope Ferrell

November 23, 1935 ~ December 25, 2023

 



Notice of passing…..retired Western/Delta Air Lines pilot and author Lt. Colonel Mal Ferrell, USAF (Ret.), age 88, of Peachtree City, Georgia.  Captain Ferrell joined Western Airlines 04-22-1968 and retired with Delta Air Lines in 1995 based 030/ATL.  He is survived by his wife Gloria, and by his children and their families.

Please see links below to read more of Mal’s life story. 

For those who may wish to send a personal note, the Ferrell’s address is listed in whitepages as  

103 ST. ANDREWS SQUARE, PEACHTREE CITY GA 30269-1441

 

PCN memorial site

 

https://thecitizen.com/2024/01/08/mallory-hope-ferrell-jr-88-of-peachtree-city-ga/

 

Lt. Colonel Mal Ferrell, USAF (Ret.), 88, passed peacefully into the presence of his Savior on Christmas evening, 2023, in Peachtree City, Georgia. He was 88. His devoted wife, Gloria, kept vigil at his bedside for weeks before his passing.

 

During his long and productive life, Mal was many things — a decorated Air Force fighter pilot who flew more than 100 missions over North Vietnam in his F-105D Thunderchief, the author of 21 books on narrow-gauge trains, a pilot for Western and Delta airlines, and a photographer whose work graced the pages of LIFE magazine.

 

But to those who knew him — his family and friends — he was among the best of men: a loving husband to Gloria; a devoted father to Susan, Mallory 3rd, Kimberly and Eric; a doting grandfather to his grandchildren, and a wonderful brother to Joan. He said his greatest achievements in his life were his children.

 

Mallory Hope Ferrell, Jr. was born to Laura Evelyn Bunn Ferrell and Mallory Hope Ferrell, Sr. in Portsmouth, Virginia, on November 23, 1935. His mother cared for the family as a loving homemaker, and his father worked as an underwater welder at the Norfolk Shipyard during World War II.

 

The war shaped young Mallory’s childhood. He remembered watching planes attack German U-Boats off the coast of Virginia. He and his playmates salvaged material from a military equipment dump, flying imaginary missions in their fighter aircraft created from the canopy of an F4U Corsair pulled from the junk pile.

 

Aviators were his heroes: Claire Chennault and his “Flying Tiger” P-40 Warhawk pilots who fought as volunteers defending China against Japanese invaders prior to America entering the war; Jimmy Doolittle and his B-24 Liberator pilots who launched their land-based bombers from an aircraft carrier to execute the first U.S. bombing of Tokyo; Chuck Yeager, who broke the sound barrier in his Bell XS-1.

 

In the ’50s, Mal would sweep up at the local airport in exchange for airplane rides. He earned his pilot’s license at 15, before he earned his driver’s license. Years later he would teach his 15-year-old son, Eric, to fly in a Cessna 152 rented from the local airport.

 

Mal said that all pilots carried two bags which prevent crashing — a bag of luck and a bag of experience. He said that the luck bag grows smaller over time while the experience bag grows larger. In filling his bag of experience, Mal would draw heavily from his bag of luck.

 

As a young flier, Mal took his baby daughter, Susan, up for a ride in a light aircraft. He noticed that she had closed her eyes and gone quiet. His new daddy instincts went into overdrive. Fearing that she suffered hypoxia or otherwise lost consciousness, he declared an emergency and cut a couple of other planes out of the traffic pattern to set down and attend to his little girl. As soon as the plane’s wheels touched the runway, baby Susan woke up from her peaceful nap, to Dad’s relief.

 

To support his new wife and their baby daughter — and to help pay for college — Mal put to work his experience from high school writing and shooting photos for his local newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot. He found freelance work for the Blackstar photo agency and Life Magazine.

 

Assignments took him to Cuba where he covered dictator Fulgencio Batista’s execution of revolutionaries. Hiding rolls of film kept authorities from confiscating them, but Mal still did a short stint in a Cuban jail. A journalist colleague working for the Associated Press convinced his captors it was not in their best interest to continue detaining the young photojournalist.

 

Mal’s writing career began years earlier in junior high school. Fulfilling a class assignment, he wrote a short story of which he was particularly proud. The teacher gave the story a “C.” Not lacking in confidence, the student writer requested that his teacher please submit the story to a state-wide writing contest. The teacher declined.

 

The junior high kid retyped his story — so there was no “C” visible on it — and submitted the story to the contest independently. He won first place. The teacher who had rated the story as merely average also won a prize in that contest, although it would have to be delivered years later. She won a complimentary, autographed copy of Mal’s first book.

 

Young Mal joined the Air Force through ROTC at the University of Miami and completed flight training in 1959. He flew missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Vietnam. He and another pilot briefly held an altitude record. They established the record in an F-106 Delta Dart while testing to see how high Soviet radars in Cuba could track aircraft.

 

During those suspenseful days in October of 1962 when the United States and the Soviet Union waited to see who would blink first in a stalemate over Soviet missiles in Cuba, the young fighter pilot was part of a flight sent to sink a Soviet ship.

 

En route to their objective, headquarters radioed the flight leader to discontinue the mission and return to base. As headquarters failed to give the proper authentication code to confirm the recall order, the flight leader radioed that he and his pilots were continuing the mission as originally tasked. A general seized the mic from the airman at the radio and, citing his authority, ordered the flight to return.

 

“I don’t care who you are, general,” the flight leader responded. “Unless you come up with the proper authentication code, we’re going to sink that Russian ship as ordered.” Fortunately, the airman working the code book quickly got on the correct page — literally — and referenced the correct recall code sequence.

 

Within a year of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Mal would begin the first of three combat tours in Vietnam. There he would fly a sampling of aircraft including the: C-123 Provider, A-1 Skyraider (Spad), F-5 Tiger, F-100 Super Sabre, and F-105D Thunderchief.

 

While fiercely proud of his military career as a fighter pilot, Mal told his family that his most meaningful mission was flying a C-123 cargo aircraft to rescue Marines in the A Shau Valley of Vietnam.

 

In describing his time in combat, Mal borrowed a quote from the World War II saga “Band of Brothers”: “I was not a hero. But I served in a company of heroes.” He offered, for example, the time that his F-105D aircraft was badly shot up and leaking fuel. It was the hero crew of a KC-135 Stratotanker that bravely nursed his aircraft home across the contested skies of North Vietnam. They faced danger from enemy MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft fire, and flames from Mal’s F-105D. Jet fuel and fire do not a good combination make.

 

Mal’s decorations from service in Vietnam include: The Distinguished Flying Cross, five Air Medals, the Bronze and Silver Stars. He flew more than 100 missions over North Vietnam in his F-105D, going “downtown” taking the fight to the heart of the enemy over Hanoi.

 

Following Vietnam, Mal continued flying with Virginia and Colorado Air National Guard units. To earn a living, he went to work — ever so briefly — for his father and uncle in the family business, Ferrell Linoleum and Tile.

 

He described shuffling along on his hands and knees measuring the bathroom of a vacant house for new flooring. Catching sight through the window of an airliner sailing through the blue sky, he instantly decided on his next career move. Within a few months he landed work for Western Airlines as a flight engineer on the Boeing 707.

 

He would retire three decades later with Delta Airlines as an international captain on the Boeing 767. Along the way he flew his beloved Boeing 737, a plane he said was so rugged and durable that it could climb trees, and the Boeing 727, the first equipment on which he sat in the left seat, flying as captain.

 

His wife, Gloria, supported his career, moving four times around the country for him to move up in equipment. Outdoor hockey tournaments in the subzero temperatures of Minnesota were not an easy adjustment for a Georgia girl, but the Minnesota move permitted Mal to fly as a captain with the airline for the first time.

 

Friends and family recall throughout Mal’s life that he loved old railroad lines. Mal wrote hundreds of magazines articles and 21 books on the topic of old steam-engine rail lines. He also scored wins in modeling contests displaying engines and rail cars which he built from scratch, frequently making his own parts.

 

At every phase of life from his teen years on, and wherever he lived, he would research the steam-engine lines. Whether on a layover with the airlines or vacationing with family, he would take the opportunity to find railroad artifacts, collect old photos, or shoot his own. He specialized in black-and-white photography, developing his own pictures in his home darkroom.

 

Mal’s two oldest children recall their father listening to an LP recording of trains. Their dad could identify the type of engine on a rail line based on its whistle and the sound of its boiler chugging along.

 

Many of his children’s fond memories with their Daddy come from trips chasing old locomotives. His two youngest children, Kim and Eric, recall the family camping next to a stream in the Rocky Mountains. Kim also remembers she and her brother, Mal 3rd, bumping their heads on the ceiling of their Ford Bronco as the father bounced the vehicle over mountain trials. Mal 3rd remembers flood waters carrying the family’s Volkswagen Beetle downstream on one outing. No one was hurt and the little Bug made it the far riverbank, and where it resumed trudging along, going places only a 4×4 should venture.

 

Mal 3rd also recalls the same little VW breaking down after dark in The Great Dismal Swamp on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. Dad jumped out to make repairs while his son nervously noticed multiple pairs of red eyes peering at them through the darkness — alligators. Mr. Fix it promptly had the little VW up and running and no one was eaten.

 

Mal is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Gloria Gaskins Ferrell of Peachtree City. He has three children from his marriage to Alice M. Moore: Susan (Gary) Waters of Friday Harbor on the San Juan Islands, Washington; Mallory (Michelle) Ferrell of Pace, Florida; Kimberly (Tim) Imberi of El Mirage, Arizona. His youngest son is Eric (Susan) Ferrell of Sharpsburg, Georgia.

 

He has five grandchildren: Lenna (Travis) Cherry of Yakima, Washington, Heather Ferrell of Longmont, Colorado, Anna Ferrell of Denver, Colorado, Nicholas Ferrell of Surprise, Arizona, and Katherine “Katie” Ferrell of Sharpsburg, Georgia; and two great-grandsons via Nicholas: Oliver Ferrell, and Jordan Ginnetti………………………………….

 

https://www.signaturepress.com/authors/mhf.html

 

Mallory Hope Ferrell

A former combat fighter pilot and international airline captain, the Virginia native has authored hundreds of articles and written 21 books. He majored in Architectural Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) and graduated from the University of Miami.

Mal was a photographer for the Black Star Agency and Life magazine before turning to a professional flying career. He still does photographic work the “old-fashioned way” in his own darkroom. His picture collection on railroads and the Old West numbers well over 120,000 prints. His other interests include award-winning finescale model building and collecting historic annual passes………………

 

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/remembering-mal-ferrell-railroad-author-aviator/

 

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Anyone who doubts that aviation and railroading are often a shared affinity should consider the life of Mallory Hope Ferrell, a skilled photographer and writer, decorated military and commercial pilot, and the author of at least 21 railroad books, mostly concerned with narrow-gauge and shortline steam railroads.

 

Lt. Colonel Mallory Hope Ferrell (USAF-retired), a former pilot for Western and Delta Airlines, died Dec. 25, 2023, at his home in Peachtree City, after a long illness. He was 88.

 

Along with his many books, Ferrell had dozens of bylines in Trains, Classic Trains, and other railroad periodicals. One of the most notable stories was his portrait of Colorado narrow-gauge preservationist Robert W. Richardson, “Uncle Bob and the 346,” the cover story for the February 1988 issue of Trains. In it, Ferrell described how legions of narrow-gauge fans grew up in Richardson’s shadow; the same could be said of the author himself.

 

Ferrell’s books touched on nearly every aspect of narrow-gauge and steam short-line history. They included such classics as “Silver San Juan: The Rio Grande Southern,” for Pruett Publishing in 1973; “West Side: Narrow Gauge in the Sierra,” for Pacific Fast Mail in 1992; and “The South Park Line,” for Hundman Publishing in 2003.

 

Ferrell also had a special place in his heart for a Class I railroad, the Virginian, located near his childhood Tidewater home in Portsmouth, Va. He wrote: “I would go to sleep each night listening to the sounds of a Virginian 2-8-2 switching the yards. The gentle sounds and pungent aroma of smoke would drift through the night air and into my bedroom window like a soothing gauze.”……………………………………………….