 FLOWERS, LYLE W., U.S. ARMY SFC, RETIRED Age, 85, passed away May 6, 2014. Lyle was born March 12, 1929, in Elbert County, Ramah, CO, the fifth of eight children born to Joseph W. (Budd) and Agnes Franklin Flowers. The family moved to Calhan, CO in 1936 to be near a high school. Lyle attended grade school in Calhan, and junior and senior high schools in Denver, CO. Lyle's father had a farm sale, sold everything and moved his family to Denver in l944 where his three older sisters had settled after finishing college and were living with an aunt and uncle. Lyle never graduated from high school but worked a year in the Denver area and then joined the Army in November, 1947. He completed a GED series and Basic Training at Fort Ord, CA and received his high school equivalency certificate. He spent more than seven years with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC as a Motor Sgt. and Chief Mechanic and after a tour in Korea, decided to change careers and go into aviation. Lyle spent a second tour in Korea with the 13th Transportation Company, Light Helicopter, as a Crew Chief. He served two tours each in Korea, Vietnam and Alaska. Between his two tours in Vietnam, Lyle was an instructor in helicopter maintenance at Fort Eustis, VA. His career in aviation was spent with the 33rd Transportation Co, Fort Riley, KS and Fort Ord, CA; 13th Transportation Co, Korea; U.S. Army Transportation School, Fort Eustis, VA; 80th Transportation Co, Fort Richardson, AK; 8th Transportation Co, Fort Bragg, NC and Vietnam; 14th Transportation Battalion, Nha Trang, South Vietnam; 604th Transportation Co, Plakieu, South Vietnam; and 568th Transportation Co, Fort Wainwright, AK where he retired as shop foreman in 1968 with 21 years military service. The 568th was a General Support Maintenance Company that serviced all of Alaska's Army Aircraft. Lyle deployed with the 8th Transportation Co. and its maintenance detachment in November, 1961, and was one of the first three helicopter companies to arrive in Saigon, South Vietnam on December 11, 1961. They built their camp from scratch at Quin-yhon. Lyle truly loved army aviation and became qualified to fly in several different aircraft. Always with a rated pilot, Lyle accumulated nearly 200 combat support hours doing rescue and recovery missions during his tours in Vietnam where he earned the Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters. Through a military friend, Lyle met and married Shirley Ann Moorehouse in Kansas City, MO on November 3, 1952. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary only a month before Shirley passed away on December 12, 1987, losing her battle with Cancer & brain tumors. During his service, Lyle received the following medals and awards: the Army Commendation Medal, Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, 5 Good Conduct Medals, 2 Purple Hearts, National Defense Service Medal, Air Medal with seven OLC, Senior Aviator Flight Wings, Senior Parachute Wings, Glider Wings, Expert Marksman Qualification Badge on the M-1 carbine, M-1 rifle and 45 cal. handgun and U.S. Army Transportation School Instructor Qualification Certificates. Following his retirement from the U.S. Army, Lyle worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Fairbanks, AK for 16 years. His service with the postal service started as a substitute carrier and ended as Postal Operations Specialist Senior. He also worked as Tour Supervisor, Mail Processing Supervisor, Customer Service Supervisor and as Acting Postmaster. On June 29, 1984, Lyle combined his postal service with his military service for one civil service retirement of 37 years. While working with the postal service, Lyle completed a ground school course and flight training and became qualified in small, single engine aircraft. He went on to qualify in the twin engine Piper Seneca and was instrument rated. In June 1985, Lyle, Shirley and their youngest daughter, Shannon moved to Albuquerque, NM where their oldest daughter Teresa was living. Lyle worked at First Interstate Bank in the vault sorting and wrapping coins and verifying currency until the bank sold in 1991. He then worked for himself doing yard maintenance and installing sprinkler systems. In 1991 he met Bonnie Lee (Jackson) Bassham and nearly two years later, on May 22, 1993, Lyle and Bonnie were married in his daughter Teresa's back yard. He took Bonnie to Alaska on their honeymoon where Lyle's second daughter, Danita, still lives in Fairbanks with her husband, Lloyd. Lyle and Bonnie have done much traveling with their fifth wheel camper and then the motor homes before Lyle retired from driving the "big rigs" at age 80. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho and attended services regularly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Agnes Flowers, his first wife, Shirley Ann; brothers, Roy Lee and Lynn Flowers; sister, Audrey Heinricy; brothers-and sister-in-law Haskell Heinricy, Herman Norden, Hiram Merritt, Robert Ohnemus, Kent Petre and Shirley Jean Flowers. He is survived by his loving wife Bonnie, of the home; daughters, Teresa Fodge & Gary Holguin of Rio Rancho, NM, Danita (Lloyd) Swenson of Fairbanks, AK and Shannon Flowers, of Anchorage, AK; three sisters, Eleanor Norden and Violet Merritt of Denver, CO and Christen Petre of Castle Rock, CO; one brother, Rex, of Sarasota, FL; sister-in-law, Judy Ohnemus of West Covina, CA; 6 grandchildren, Christopher Fodge and Nicholas (Jennifer) Fodge, of Albuquerque, Lisa (Bill) Allen and Sherri (Tim) Brown, Mark (Kim) Swenson of Fairbanks, AK and Sheila (Steve) Hankins of Naples, FL; 17 great-grandchildren; 8 great-great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and good friends. A visitation will be held at 10:30 am with Funeral Services following at 11:00 am, Tuesday, May 13, 2014, officiant will be Pastor Si Budagher at First Baptist Church of Rio Rancho, 3906 19th Avenue, Rio Rancho, NM. Interment to immediately follow at Vista Verde Memorial Park, Rio Rancho, NM. Pall Bearers are Christopher Fodge, Nicholas, Fodge, Lloyd Swenson, Gary Holguin, Robert Warianka, and John Franklin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the New Mexico Cancer Center, Heart Hospital of New Mexico or Presbyterian Home Hospice. To view information or leave a condolence please visit www.danielsfuneral.com Daniels Family Funeral Services 4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, NM 87124 505-892-9920
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