John Dunahee Obituary

JOHN EDWARD DUNAHEE John Edward Dunahee, 78, of Eyota, passed away on Monday, July 22, 2024, at Seasons Hospice House in Rochester. He was born on July 4, 1946, in Minneapolis and grew up in International Falls, graduating from Falls High School in 1964. John played 2 years of football followed by 2 years on the track team. Always being interested in aviation John became a so-called airport bum at the local airport. Having two family members in the USAF, John enlisted in the Air Force in July 1964 and received training at the Greenville AFB in Mississippi as a crash and rescue firefighter. John served 3 years driving crash and rescue truck in the United Kingdom at RAF Woodbridge. In off duty time he became maintenance officer for a local base flying club and began working on his private pilot's license, making his first solo flight at Ipswich, England airport. As part of his training John made a cross-country flight with his instructor from RAF Woodbridge to Antwerp, Belgium and back. Leaving England in 1967 John transferred to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, California. As John's enlistment was almost up, he applied for retraining as a helicopter mechanic as a condition for re-enlistment which was approved and he was sent to Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas for a 16-week course. Upon returning to Edwards AFB, he began working on H-13 helicopters that were used by Test Pilot School pilots for helicopter familiarization, also while at Edwards he obtained his Private Pilots License, also serving as Edwards Aero Club maintenance officer. In 1969 John was transferred to Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, Alaska working on H-21 helicopters. While off duty John continued his flight training obtaining a Commercial Pilots License & Multi Engine ratings at PAN Alaska Airways. John also found time somehow to join the Greater Fairbanks Racing Association and racing stock cars at North Pole Speedway near Fairbanks. In 1970 he was transferred to Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada. He began working on H-43B rescue helicopters. John was sent to Sheppard AFB again for 6 weeks course on H-43B in order to become a crew chief and fly as a rescue hoist operator. In off duty time he again continued working on flying ratings, obtaining a Commercial Helicopter License while also serving in Civil Air Patrol as a search pilot and squadron maintenance officer. In May 1972 John decided to leave the Air Force to pursue a career in civil aviation initially working for Hughes Aviation Services in Las Vegas as a ground crew person handling all aspects of this business which involved aircraft fueling and baggage handling for charter flights in Las Vegas. Additionally, he began working at the jet lot which handled corporate and celebrity flights into McCarren airport with lots of time to chat with people appearing on stage nightly. While at Hughes he continued flight training, obtaining instrument and single Engine Sea plus Commercial Glider Ratings. In 8 years at Hughes during off duty time he began towing advertising banners and gliders. In 1980 he went to work for Lang Aire flying Grand Canyon tours and flying C-207 with juvenile prisoners to facility in Elko, NV to serve their sentences a contract Lang Aire also had. As the company grew, became Chief Pilot and continued to fly C-402 on Grand Canyon tours and flew a new contract for Las Vegas Metro Police Department to and from Nevada State Prison in Carson City, NV. In 1981 he transferred to a sister company called Interstate Air Ambulance & Interstate Air Express becoming Chief Pilot and later Director of Operations and designated pilot examiner. The flying part for air ambulance involved flying all over the U.S. on short notice and being on call basically 24 hours a day. Interstate Air Express part of the job was flying nightly freight runs from Reno, Nevada to Las Vegas and then on to Los Angeles, with bank checks going to the Federal Reserve. These companies were owned by a Nevada state assemblyman so lots of contracts. After 6 years it was time to slow down so he went back to Lang Aire and shortly there after became Chief Pilot and designated examiner again as people moved on. Finally, he decided to reduce his workload and fly over the Grand Canyon with no air conditioning and took over a job as chief dispatcher for Lang Aire later passing FAA written test for airline dispatcher. Occasionally flying a trip now and then. During this time Lang Aire operated 14 C-402 Twins and 7 C-207 single engine aircraft. In 1993 an Idaho businessman purchased Lang Aire and Minneapolis Cargo Airline called Viking Airlines adding 5 Conair freighters and 3 DC-9's plus later 5 Fokker 45 passenger aircraft to the company changing the name to Eagle Canyon Airlines and Eagle Jet Charter. John continued as Cessna chief dispatcher and pilot but in 1998 decided to move back to Minnesota. He worked for a while as swing shift security supervisor at Rochester airport until 9/11 happened and then was hired by TSA as a security screener and then transferring in 2003 to Internation Falls and become Lead Security screener. In 2007 John decided he did not like the government rat race and decided to get a commercial drivers license and moved back to Eyota, MN and went to work for Go Rochester Direct doing runs to and from MSP airport. Also started to drive for Rochester City Lines picking up Mayo employees in various area towns and bringing them to work in Rochester in the AM and back home in the PM. In 2016 John left Go-Rochester Direct to drive bus full time. When COVID 19 hit the area bus business was eventually cancelled by Mayo and drivers mostly furloughed until 2020 and on un-employment until finally released from the company. At this point John decided to retire. John is survived by his sister, Gloria Simanovski of Winneconne, WI; brother, Gary (Rosemary) Schwirtz of Plainview; brother Terry; cousins Denise (Nathan) Davidson, Grand Meadow, MN, and Karen (Greg) Heath, Litchfield, MN; as well as nieces and nephews. He was preceded in deceased by his parents, sisters, Leona Abrath and Florence Holden, and brothers, Arthur Holden and Leonard Holden. There will be a private memorial service. Arrangements entrusted to Schleicher Funeral Homes, Plainview Chapel, the guest register may be signed at www.schleicherfuneralhomes.com