Born in Pontiac, R. I. – 3/5/23 – 12/27/10
Captain USMC (Ret.), Captain Eastern Airlines (Ret.)
EAA Lifetime Member 197443 – Quiet Birdman Member 33886
Willow Creek Community Church member since 2000
Fenwick’s career in aviation started at age 10, when his Dad bought him a 45-minute ride in an Aeronca C-2 at the local airport. The Depression year of 1933 meant the $5 ride was a sacrifice on the family budget, but each time Fen heard an airplane, he had to run outside to watch. His father was far from wealthy, but he knew someday his son would sprout wings. The pilot of the C-2 was a splinter of a man, probably weighing 95 lbs. dripping wet, so Fen easily slipped in beside him in the narrow cockpit. His career was clear after that ride! Fast forward to December 7, 1941, with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Fen had logged 75 hours flight time flying in the civilian pilot training program (CPT), and then with the U.S. at war, he entered cadet training with the Navy, gaining his wings in July, 1943, at age 20. He promptly signed up as a fighter pilot with the Marine Corps. Flying F4U Corsairs, he survived three campaigns of island-hopping in the Pacific from Bougainville all the way to Leyte, in the Philippines. Anti-aircraft shot him down in 1944 near the Jap-held Rabaul Harbor, and after paddling four hours in his rubber raft, he was rescued by a Navy PBY “Dumbo.” Forty-plus ‘missions’ later and two DFC’s, he returned home in 1945 to find no steady flying jobs available. So Fen went back to college (University of Miami), where he earned his Degree in 1949 in Aeronautical Management. Finally in 1950, Eastern Airlines recognized his worth and placed him in the right seat of a DC-3. In six years, he had his fourth stripe, and was a Captain for the second time, but as a civilian. During his 33 years with Eastern, he typed on most all the airline offered from the Martin 404, Convair 440, Douglas DC-6B, DC-7B, Lockheed L-649 through L- 1049G, L-188, Boeing B-707, B-720, B-727, and his favorite, the L-1011 wide body, when he retired at the mandatory age of 60. Following retirement, Fen continued flying his own Twin SeaBee off beautiful Cobbetts Lake in southern N.H., where he had restored a six-bedroom home. After selling the Twin SeaBee in 1997, Fen and his wife, Lilli, moved to the Village of Huntley, 50 miles northwest of Chicago. Three years after their move, Fen lost Lilli, his love of 33 years, to cancer in May, 2000. One year later, Fen found another love and Christian lady, Theresa, whom he married in July, 2005, and moved into Del Webb Sun City, Huntley, with his new bride. Fen was active in aviation circles, even in his 80’s, but flying much less than earlier, and continued to volunteer his services at EAA Oshkosh for over 15 years. His last logbook entry in 2010 lists a total of 26,342 hours flown. Fen was awarded a Master Pilot Award in October, 2005, having qualified in part, with no violations or accidents filed for 50 consecutive years of flight from 1943 through 1993. Fen loved to fly, a spiritual person and true believer, he strived to walk with Christ his entire life.
Surviving is his loving wife, Theresa, and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces. Fenwick was preceded in death by his parents, Mamie and Lambert Lind; his brother, Bert Lind; his prior loving wife, Lilli; and his two children, Jennifer and Stephen Lind.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. John’s United Church of Christ-Harmony, 11821 E. Grant Hwy., Hampshire, IL 60140, or Experimental Aircraft Association, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI, 54903. Visitation will be held Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at the St. John’s United Church of Christ-Harmony. For information, 815-923-4263, email harmonyucc@foxvalley.net, website: stjohnsuccharmony.org – Madison Funeral Home, Elgin 847-741-1128.
