Cyril Ambrose “Cy” Mehling finished a life of challenge, adventure and accomplishment on August 24th, 2016. He died of a broken heart just 5 weeks after his wife. His role as a husband, father, aircraft builder and American Airlines employee spanned almost 90 years. During his brief years on earth, he raised 4 boys, owned 8 airplanes, worked 37 years with American Airlines, lived in Doylestown 47 years, and was married to his recently deceased wife, Mary, for over 58 years.
Born in Fremont, Ohio, Cy served his country briefly in the Army Air Corp in 1945. During training he was sent home, as WWII had ended. Attending Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma, set him on the road to a fulfilling career as an aviation mechanic. Cy married Mildred Duckworth during this time. Hired as an aircraft mechanic on the twin engine Lockheed Electra for Wisconsin Central Airlines, he initially moved to Madison WI. He was later hired as a mechanic by American Airlines and moved his wife and 2 sons to Tulsa OK. Shortly after giving birth to a third son, Cy’s wife, Mildred, passed away. After remarrying in 1958, he became a Flight Engineer, the third cockpit crewmember, for American Airlines, taking him from the hangar floor to the air. Cy moved his family to Kings Park, NY, where another son was born, then to Doylestown in 1969. As a professional Flight Engineer, Cy flew the Douglas DC6/7, Lockheed Electra, Boeing 707, and McDonnel Douglas DC-10.
Cy earned his pilot’s license in the early 1960s and owned many aircraft, both factory built and homebuilt. Starting in 1972, for over 25 years, he was constantly building and flying 5 different ‘custom’ or experimental aircraft. Museums in Connecticut and Florida house two of these, a Vari-Eze and a Cirrus VK-30. One of the original members of morning ‘Coffee Break’ at Hance’s Auto Radiator of Cross Keys, Cy also enjoyed this 6 day a week ritual for over 40 years.
For all he accomplished with his heart and his hands, his lasting legacy is four successful sons, Jim (Andrea) of Buckingham PA, Chris (Janet) of Glendale AZ, Mark (Debby) of Port Orange FL and Joe (Betty) of Denton TX. Those left behind also include a sister, Rose Bowden (nee Mehling), her husband, Gaylord, of Fremont OH. There are numerous grand- and great-grandchildren.
The family invites friends and those Cy influenced to attend his Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., Thursday, September 8th, 2016 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 5175 Cold Spring Creamery Road, Doylestown, where the family will receive guests from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Interment with Honor Guard will follow Mass in St. Neumann Cemetery, Chalfont.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Program at http://bit.ly/donate4cy.
