WAYNE STILWELL 1968 - 1986 AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, BUILDING MAINTENANCE DEN PHX STL Email to the FL website: Would Jake Lamkins please send me his mailing addresses. I have a gift I want to send him for all of the great work he has done for the Frontier website It has brought me a lot of good memories. Frontier was the best days of my life. I moved to STL in 1968 and was there when they closed in 1986 -Wayne Stilwell (11/13/03) This is the same Wayne Stilwell that was in STL. He was an aircraft mechanic and at the end was in building maintenance. -Carl Simpson (11/16/03) I'm sending you a photo of the gift I hope to send you before Christmas. The Frontier aircraft mirror is done on the back side of a mirror hand drawn and cut in with a sharp nail and painted using model paint and the frames are made using primitive tools by a convicted drug dealer in a prison in old Mexico. He is doing a 20 year term but I have never meet him. His girl friend works part time for me and I send him a picture of an aircraft and the next week he has a mirror done. I offered to send him extra knives, razor blades and other tools to work with. The prison will let him have mirror glass but no tools. I have MS and have to use a power chair to get around. Life has been real good to me. After Frontier I went to work for Express One airlines. I worked for them for 11 years and when I discovered I had MS I was running 15 freighters for them in Brussels, Belgium. The owner of Express One was married to one of the daughters of the Hunt family of Texas. He and I had became good friends and he helped me become well off money-wise . I had 20 great years with Frontier. I'm now living in Yuma, Arizona. Again, I thank you for your work on the website - it has meant a lot to me. -Wayne Stilwell (12/5/03) Wayne sent me the great FL 737 mirror for Xmas 2003. -Jake Lamkins (12/18/04) I would like to donate a FL mirror for a drawing at the 37th FSM FYV FL MEMORIAL PIGNIC. How is everything going? I hope doing well. Talk to you later, have a great day. -Wayne Stilwell (7/27/05) Email: FSM FYV Just a reminder that the 37th FL reunion is this Saturday at Burford Pavillion. STL mechanic Wayne Stilwell phoned today that he is sending a FL mirror to be given away at the reunion. It is similar to the one I got from him which is 20"X25". -Jake Lamkins (8/15/05) Email to Wayne, FYV FSM Hello Wayne, The mirror arrived today without a scratch. Great job of packing. All of us at the FYV FSM reunion thank you for donating this terrific piece of FL memorabilia. It will be a wonderful door prize. -Jake Lamkins (8/18/05) Hi Wayne, The mirror was a big hit at the FYV FSM Reunion. Several folks got your phone number and may call about getting one. It was won by pilot Johnny Matthews. Thanks again, -Jake Lamkins (8/22/05) Hi Wayne, Thanks for the update and your support. Where all did you work at FL and when did you start? I remember you in STL. -Jake Lamkins (10/23/06) Out of my 20 years with Frontier I spent my first year in Denver, second year in Phoenix and the last 18 years in STL. Carl Simpson and I were the last 2 STL mechanics when the airline shut down in 1986. I shall always enjoy the 20 years with Frontier as the best 20 years in my life and I have had a wonderful life. Enclosed there is a check - please contact Keith Stielow and mail him a couple of back issues and place him on the subscription list. Keith Stielow was our maintenance manager for 18 years; he was based out of Kansas City. He was the best manager anybody could have ever had. Let Mr. Stielow know his subscription is taken care of... he has done so much for me over the years. I donated a couple of mirrors for the STL drawing. . one of them got broken during shipment, I shall replace It for the person who won it. -Wayne Stilwell (10/27/06) I have just been informed of the passing of Wayne Stillwell on February 6th in Yuma, AZ from complications of MS at 68 years of age. There is an obit published in the Yuma Sun newspaper. I shall post more info as it becomes available. Wayne was a long time line mechanic in STL. -Jim Taylor (2/10/11) I'm sorry to hear about Wayne. I worked with him at STL from 78 until 82. -Bob Baxter (2/10/11) Obituary H.D. "Wayne" Stilwell (1942-2011) H.D. "Wayne" Stilwell, 68, of Yuma, died Feb. 6, 2011, in Yuma. He was born July 5, 1942, in Wagner, Okla., and was an aircraft mechanic. No services are planned. Yuma Mortuary and Crematory is handling arrangements. -The Yuma Sun on February 10, 2011 H D STILWELL Aircraft mechanic seniority date of 3/4/68 per the 11/1/76 FL/IAM Seniority List. -Jake Lamkins (2/10/11) Worked with Wayne in STL. When I got my 1st station manager position in MEM, I was preparing to leave & ask Wayne if he would paint my 60 VW Bug before I left. On Sat. nite before I left next day, Wayne painted the car in the Air Frt. building and would only accept a bottle of Jack Daniels as pay. Did an excellent job! He was an "easy going" guy & everyone seemed to be his friend. -Jim Mustain (2/10/11) I worked STL station and Wayne was an aircraft mechanic there til the 580s were cut from the system and the station was dramatically downsized. And if I recall, he was even building maintenance for a while. Sorry to hear about Wayne Stilwell flying west. -Chuck Tisckos (2/11/11) Posted at the FL Club: Wayne had the FL spirit in abundance. He emailed me in 2003: "I have MS and have to use a power chair to get around. Life has been real good to me." -Jake Lamkins (2/11/11) Wayne was a real go-getter. When the city condemned a bunch of houses near STL he bought one (maybe more) and dismantled it pretty much by himself. He never missed a government auction and always came home with a truck load of surplus stuff. He bought an old chicken operation north of Hawk Point with plenty of room to store his treasures. He helped me build a loafing shed, for my horses, and furnished most of the materials. In return I was going to help him build a building on his property, but he never got around to it and I guess I still owe him a few days labor. With Wayne, Shorty Maxwell, Wayne Gordon, and Larry Miley et al gone there's not many of us left. -Bob Baxter (2/11/11) Hello, I found your names on an email list of Wayne’s. Just to inform you that Wayne died on February 6th from the numerous complications resulting from his long battle with MS. -Wanda Stilwell (2/8/11) Wanda, Thank you for the notification. I worked with Wayne at Express One airlines and he was a very good friend and mentor to me. Wayne and I often talked and I learned a lot from him about life, politics, and how to be a better aircraft mechanic. Wayne was always ready to give me the cold hard truth to any questions or decisions I had and it has made me a better person for it. Recently, I was calling those that knew Wayne to see if he was ok. I am sorry that I will never speak to him again but I will always remember life lessons he taught me. At least he is free of that terrible M.S. affliction. I am sorry for your loss and thanks again for the notification. Where is Wayne buried? St Charles, Yuma? Also I included some pictures of Wayne from Brussels. Thank you for the notification, -Chuck Drake, Hartford, CT (2/8/11) Wanda, Thank you for your message, I am saddened to hear of Wayne's passing. I worked with Wayne in St Louis for Frontier for about a year back in the mid-70's along with Carl, Wayne Gordon, Perkins & Shorty Maxwell before I moved back to Denver. Wayne was a great mechanic and a good person, we always got along just great. Wayne was a busy guy always had something going on, some business deal that was a sure thing, my what energy he had. The last contact I had with him he was living in Yuma, Az and confined to a wheelchair. Should you be able to send me any pertinent information on Wayne I shall see that it gets to our FAL historian and added to his website. Such as hire date at FAL, retire date, DOB, DOD location, Obit info, a picture of Wayne and any other info you think interesting for our historians newsletter and web site. Thankyou again for your message. -Jim Taylor, Bend, Oregon (2/10/11) Thanks, Chuck, for your message and pictures, I appreciate them. Wayne died in Yuma, AZ where he has been bed ridden for the past five years. He was diagnosed with MS in September 1997 and it has been a very unpleasant painful situation worsening continually. Wayne’s mother will be 94 this year and still lives in Yuma. Wayne was the third son she has seen pass. She and Wayne were the only ones in Yuma and even though they did not see each other often there was a strong connection so it was very difficult for Viola. She lives in an assisted living facility. Neither Wayne nor myself ever remarried after over 25 years so I did still take care of his medical issues and seeing that he had caregivers in the home and never had to go into a nursing home. I was with him the last 8 hours of his life and he was ready to be relieved of the pain and deteriorating existence. He dealt with the situation very well for all of these years. I usually spoke with him three times a day and it was a daily reminder that any problem I had was so small it was not worth mentioning. Per Wayne’s request he was cremated and no service was held. -Wanda Stilwell (2/16/11) Hello Jim, Wayne worked for Express One after Frontier filed bankruptcy until he was diagnosed with MS in September 1997. He was diagnosed at Mayo clinic with chronic progressive MS so it left him bed ridden for the past five years. It was an ugly, painful situation. Yes Wayne was still in Yuma, AZ. His mother still lives there, she is the reason he moved to Yuma plus when he could still get around in the wheelchair the weather permitted him to get outside most of the year. However MS is a very heat sensitive disease so the extreme heat kept him inside like the cold winters would have here in the St. Louis area. Wayne’s mother will be 94 in May and lives in an assisted living facility. Wayne was the third son she has seen pass. Yes I am the ex-wife from over 25 years ago but neither Wayne nor myself ever remarried so that is how the ex-wife from so many years ago still took care of the medical issues and getting him health care into his home so he never had to move into a nursing home etc. Hospice had came into care for him previously about a year and a half ago then re-evaluated and left then they came back in November 2010. I was there with him the last 8 hours of his life (Wayne passed February 6, 2011) (DOB July 5, 1942) and I know he was so ready to be relieved of the pain of MS and at the end the terrible painful infections that shut down his body. First with a open wound that would not heal and then a final urinary infection. He dealt with the situation extremely well. The will to live is extremely strong no matter what the quality of life may be. Wayne was cremated and no service was held per his request in his last will. I know he kept in touch with some of you guys from Frontier and Express One. Thank you for responding to my note. -Wanda Stilwell (2/17/11) Thank you for posting the pictures for me. I have one final request, Please post the note below that I wrote Jim Wikert, the President of Express One. Wayne also sent me a mirror of an Express One Aircraft. I have it mounted directly over my work bench. Like I said he was a real mentor to me and I often think of him and the advice he gave when I need to make difficult decisions. -Chuck Drake (2/19/11) Email to Jim Wickert, former President of Express One Subject: Wayne Stilwell has passed away. My name is Chuck Drake and I was a mechanic for Express One in Terre Haute /Indianapolis and I worked for Wayne Stillwell before he departed to Europe with Express One for the DHL contract. I would just like to inform you that Wayne Stillwell passed away on February 6th, 2011 after a long battle with MS. He was a loyal employee to you and Express One. Wayne would go to great lengths and work tirelessly to insure our aircraft and equipment were in a constant state of readiness. He also often spoke of you with high regard and admiration and like many of us were very proud to work for you. -Chuck Drake (2/9/11) Thank you so much for the information on Wayne. Wayne was without question one of the finest employees that Express One ever had. From Anchorage, Alaska, to Brussels, to our Air Force contract at Warner/Robbins, Wayne did it all, and did it well. He never complained, he just got it done, often in the harshest of conditions. He knew more about 727s than anyone I ever met. Wayne was a gem of a person, and I will always remember him with great admiration. It saddens me that Wayne is gone, although I know he suffered in the last few years with his MS. I don't think that there has ever been assembled a better group of employees than we had at Express One. I enjoyed working with all of you, and looked forward to every day when I headed to the office, or to one of our many bases. Working with the hundreds of people who came and went at Express One was the most rewarding thing I have done in my life, and Wayne Stilwell was a big part of it. Thanks again Chuck for the pictures and the sad news. Wayne had a wonderful heart, and I know he is in a better place. -Jim Wikert (2/15/11) Thank you for the notes, pictures, etc. It is good to see Wayne the way we want to remember him and not in the final years. It is a good thing that we do not know what is in store for us before we check out of this life! I was unsure how to contact Jim Wickert and appreciate the efforts to do so. Your thoughtfulness is most appreciated. -Wanda Stilwell (2/20/11)