DON CECIL 1954 - 1986 AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, LEAD AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, INSPECTOR, GENERAL FOREMAN FTW ACF GSW DAL DEN My name is Don Cecil, I started with Central as a A/C mechanic about the time they started service into FYV. I was at Ft. Worth, Greater Southwest and was at Love Field when the merger with FAL took place. I was transferred to DEN in 69' and was a General Foreman in line maintenance at the time of the shutdown. Worked for the bankruptcy Judge and went to CAL with the airplanes, and retired from there in Sept. of '95. I was born and raised in Fayetteville and went to KOREA with the 936th. I will be back to FYV in August and will try to contact you at that time. I would like to subscribe to the FRONTIER NEWS so please tell me how. -Don Cecil (1/30/05) Great hearing from you. The FYV-FSM CN/FL Reunion is usually on the Sat. in Aug nearest the bankruptcy date. So try to come back this way for the Aug 21 or 28 date so you can join us. Fred Perry, whom you may remember, was there last year. I started as an agent with CN 8/26/64. -Jake Lamkins (1/30/05) My check is in the mail for the FRONTIER NEWS and the 2 CD's. Will try to make contact with you this summer in Fayetteville. -Don Cecil (2/1/05) Phoned Cecil and we chatted awhile. He is the ex-father-in-law of Larry Kefalas, DEN station agent. He explained helping Larry out after FL and getting Art Davis' help to get Larry on at CO. He also helped Larry get on at F9 where he's still at in PHX as a maintenance supervisor. Art went to CO stores then into administration again - finally going to IAH where Don thinks he's retired. Art told him once that he had not gotten any cowboys boot but had learned how to say "yall" since moving to TX. Don is coming to FYV in Aug for a service reunion and will try to get together with me then. -Jake Lamkins (4/17/05) Both of my knees are bad but I have escaped the knife so far, but I am being threatened by my Dr. -Don Cecil (6/30/05) I was just rereading your article in the FALL 2006 issue of FRONTIER NEWS on Jimmy Stewart. He was a very good friend of F. Kirk Johnson and would fly into Ft. Worth to see him in his private A/C. I had the pleasure of meeting him in the hangar on Meacham Field several times, he was a very nice gentleman. When the Movie STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND was filmed the DC-3 used in the early part of the movie was a CENTRAL AIRLINES Aircraft #939. While using it, the over use of the air stair door caused the hinges on the door to break and I and another mechanic were sent to replace them so the door could be closed and the plane flown back to Meacham Field. -Don Cecil (1/29/07) That's a good story, Don. I found a copy of the movie on ebay.com for less than $10. Interesting movie and worth a view. -Jake Lamkins (1/29/07) I am going to be in Fayetteville on the 16, 17, 18, and 19th of August. I will attend the 936 FA Reunion on the 18th and 19th and I know you always go to Ft. Smith on the 18th for the FAL Reunion. I would like to talk to you if we can get together during this time. If you will email me your telephone number in Fayetteville I will contact you after my arrival on Thursday. Look forward to hearing from you. -Don Cecil (7/27/07) Hi Don, Got your letter and check. Thanks for your support. Getting together while you're in FYV sounds great. See ya soon, -Jake Lamkins (7/28/07) Don phoned and we got together later for coffee. He said he was based in FYV for awhile in relief of Forest Claxton who later became a pilot and retired as a DC-10 captain with CO. Claxton was based in FYV in the late 50s for about a year. CN was using the old chicken shack terminal and they kept some stuff in the attic. Don started with CN when they started service thru FYV and others in Dec 54. He was moved in 1969 from DAL to DEN where he remained til 86. He had Shirley Drnovsek with him. Shirley was an ALEA covered secretary in DEN line maintenance 1972-86. Dean Aden hired her. Don also mentioned he was from FYV and went to school with Emile Sonneman who as Emile Pearce was a FYV station agent. And he said Ken Schultz has prostate cancer which is way too bad. I just got a great packet of CN info from Ken today. -Jake Lamkins (8/17/07) Jake, I want to tell you how much Shirley and I enjoyed having coffee and visiting with you last month at DENNY'S. I had a good reunion, I hope you had a good one in FSM. And thanks again for 9 years of memory's and updates on everything. See you next year. -Don Cecil (9/8/07) I enjoyed it too, Don. Let's do it again next time you're in town. -Jake Lamkins (9/9/07) Hi Don, Are you coming to FYV this summer? Our FYV-FSM Reunion is Aug 16. If so, let's get together. -Jake Lamkins (7/22/08) Shirley and I will be in Fayetteville on August 22, 23 and till noon on the 24 for the 936 FA reunion. I will give you a call when I get there. We will look forward to seeing you. -Don Cecil (7/24/08) Met them at noon until 1:15 and had lunch and a nice chat. Don mentioned the book by an agent, he thinks, of Frontier's history. He'll send info on title and contact. Maybe bring it next year. -Jake Lamkins (8/22/08) Jake, Shirley and I will be in Fayetteville the weekend after your FSM gig. Will try to contact you then. It is for the annual 936th reunion. -Don Cecil (7/27/09) Hi Don, Let's do the Denny's thing again when you come to town. I sure enjoyed last year. My phone is 479-879-8358. Call when you get into town and we'll set up a time. -Jake Lamkins (7/27/09) Don phoned about noon to tell me he had cancelled his trip to FYV for health reasons. He had spent two weeks in the hospital due to bleeding in his stomach. I wished him a speedy recovery and thanked him for calling. -Jake Lamkins (8/21/09) Jake, I want to thank you for sending the news paper article about the 936th Reunion. I really enjoyed reading them. They are planning on having the 60th and last one next year and the good Lord willing Shirley and I are planning on attending it. I am getting better every day and the P T is planning on Monday letting me park the walker and start using a cane. Thanks again, -Don Cecil (8/29/09) Jake, Am looking forward to lunch with you on Friday August 20th if you are available. I know you will be in Ft. Smith on Saturday the 21st. My 936th reunion is on the 21st and 22nd. -Don Cecil (5/3/10) Hi Don, Friday, Aug 20th, at Dennys about 2 pm sounds great to me. I'll see if some of the FLolks around here want to join us. Jake (5/3/10) Had lunch at 1 pm at Denny's with Don Cecil and Shirley Drnovsek. They were in town for the last reunion of Don's Korean War unit. We ate and chatted til 2:30 pm when they left to visit other friends. Don said Waymon Williams was commonly called Willie. He started with CN in about 1959 in GSW then went to MKC as a foreman and later management. Don also mentioned Clarence Yoder was a pilot and flew for F9 til his retirement. Shirley is now president of the retired maintenance club in DEN and will keep me informed of events. Don will be 80 on my birthday. He recalled working in FYV when the chicken shack was the terminal. He said they stored aircraft parts in the attic. He and Shirley are going on to FL and NC before returning to DEN. -Jake Lamkins (8/20/10) Talked to Don on the phone - he had left a voice mail for me. He told me he was working in the cockpit of a 737 at gate 6 when Bill Kilian was killed by a loaded revolver in checked luggage. He only heard a muffled pop and found out later what happened. He said the owner of the bag was brought down and said, "...dumb fool should not have dropped the bag." He said Mojo Muller was hired to check bags with firearms to make sure they were not loaded. Then later she got a job as a station agent. He said Shirley said tell me hello and I should come visit them. They are doing good, he said. -Jake Lamkins (10/21/12) Bill Guthrie phoned and told me Don flew west yesterday. He said Bob Keefer had called him. Don had been ill several weeks. -Jake Lamkins (10/16/18) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Don Cecil DEN inspector Don Cecil stopped by FYV in 2008. He flew west three days ago. Just a great guy and I got an email from him last June. Haven't seen an obituary yet. -Jake Lamkins (10/18/18) I worked with Don several years at DENMM. The last time I saw him was a few years ago at the Denver maintenance picnic. Tempus fugit! -Bob Baxter (10/18/18) Goodbye Cecil, sorry to see you go, God Bless -Bonnie Dahl (10/18/18) What a nice man!! So sorry! -Pat Williams-harter (10/19/18) Blessings to family A nice guy always trying to help us F/Attendants -Ruth Pitts (10/19/18) God bless him. -Jimmy Webster (10/20/18) D CECIL Emp# 01324, DENML Address in Denver, CO Per the Nov 1984 Frontier Employee Roster. ---------------------------------------- D CECIL M DOB 9/26/30 DOH 12/28/54 Per the Dec 1984 Frontier Pension Records, Salaried employee listings. ---------------------------------------- He shown in the 1980, 1982 and 1983 Frontier telephone books as DENML, no title shown. Not shown in Dec 1979 but shown in Dec 1980 so he probably went into management in that time span. ---------------------------------------- D CECIL Aircraft mechanic retained seniority of 25 yrs 1 mo 7 days per the May 1986 FL/IAM Seniority List. Using his hire date of 12/28/54 means he went into management about Mar 4, 1980. His 2005 email said he was general foreman at the end in 1986. -Jake Lamkins (10/30/18) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Don Cecil DEN general foreman Don Cecil's memorial webpage is posted at http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Don_Cecil.html Still need an obituary for him. -Jake Lamkins (11/2/18)