Michael John Mahood

Michael John Mahood March 11, 1947 - September 19, 2022 Cashmere, Washington Michael John Mahood, 75, went to be with the Lord on September 19, 2022. Michael was born on March 11, 1947, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Kenneth and Helen (Englan) Mahood. Early in his childhood, the family moved to the Los Angeles area of California where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach in 1965. Michael enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966 as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician and Jet Engine Specialist. He was stationed at Beale Air Force Base, California where he was assigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing as a line mechanic on the SR-71 Blackbird. In 1968, Michael volunteered to deploy to Ubon Air Base in the Kingdom of Thailand where he served as a Crew Chief on F-4C Phantom II fighter-bomber aircraft with the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron. During his tenure with the U.S. Air Force, Michael attained the rank of Sergeant and earned the Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal. In 1970, Michael met Ms. Jane Bernsdorff while both worked at a Lucky's Grocery Store in Long Beach, California and they were married later that year. In 1973 Michael graduated from the Northrup Institute of Technology with an Associate of Science degree in Aviation Maintenance (Airframe and Powerplant). Michael's aviation maintenance career spanned more than 50 years. After graduation from the Northrup Institute, he worked for General Electric as a turbine engine representative to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in Amsterdam. Upon his return to the United States, he was employed by the McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft Company, and as Director of Maintenance for McCollough International Airlines at Long Beach Airport, California. At the time, Michael was the youngest airline maintenance director in the United States. In 1978 Michael accepted a position in maintenance management with Pacific Southwest Airlines at San Francisco International Airport and the family moved to the sprawling suburbs of the East Bay Area. In 1981 Michael, Jane, and their children moved from San Ramon, California to Cashmere, Washington to pursue the dream of operating a small farm and raising their family in a rural area. Between 1981 and 1988 Michael commuted between Cashmere and San Francisco weekly, until he established Wenatchee Aircraft Service, a general aviation maintenance facility, at Pangborn Field in East Wenatchee. Michael accepted an instructor position with the Big Bend Community College Aviation Maintenance Program in Moses Lake, Washington from the early to mid-1990s. In 1996 he joined the management team at Executive Flight at Pangborn Field, where he was later promoted to Director of Maintenance. Michael continued to serve as Executive Flight's Maintenance Director until his retirement in 2018. He was an active member of American Legion Post No. 64 in Cashmere, Washington. Michael is survived by his wife of 52 years, Jane Mahood; son, Shawn Mahood; daughter, Amy (Mahood) Wright; daughter-in-law, Erica (Sloan) Mahood; three beloved granddaughters, Nichole Diaz, Quincy Mahood, and Makenna Wright; his sister Deborah Mahood; and his brother Daniel Mahood. Michael was preceded in death by his parents; and his sister Patricia (Mahood) Sherman. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation are appreciated.