Paul Lewis Chesley

Paul L. (Lew) Chesley, a resident of Albuquerque since 1974, died Monday, January 30, 2023, at the age of 91. He is survived by his spouse, Joyce Fern Chesley, of Albuquerque. His children are: daughter, Diane Chesley Youngblood and husband, David, of Atoka, Oklahoma, and their sons, Bradley and fiancé, Allison Nordberg, of Washington, D.C. and Zach and spouse, Lindsay, and their son, Everett, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; son, Steven Chesley and wife, Barbara, of San Francisco, California, and Steven's children, Justin and spouse, Jessica, and their children, J.T. and Jadyn, of Lehi, Utah; Shawna Dennis and her children, McKenna and Ember, of Layton, Utah and Sydney Chesley of Denver, Colorado; son, Ronald Chesley of Sherman, Texas; and daughter, Bonnie Chesley Holland and husband, J. Mark Holland, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and their children, Max Webb, of Beckley, West Virginia and Sarah Beals and her spouse, David, of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Lew is also survived by his sister, Mrs. Marguerite Danowski, of Silver Spring, Maryland and her daughters, Mrs. Donna Bigler and Mrs. Susan Reider and their families, also of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Lew retired in 1980, after a thirty-year career as a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force. He last served at Kirtland Air Force Base. He served in Vietnam in 1966-67 as an Electronic Warfare Officer and Navigator in F-105's, completing 100 missions in the squadron called the Wild Weasels. He previously flew in B-52's and other aircraft. He earned two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and numerous other medals.

Lew loved flying airplanes in retirement, and he especially enjoyed his Swift aircraft. In order to make Swifts land at a slower, safer speed, he developed replacement stall warning strips for this most dangerous small, civilian airplane, mass produced in the US after WWII. These strips are FAA approved for installation on all Swift aircraft. Lew was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for many years.

Lew served as Chairman of the Aviation Advisory Committee of the Middle Rio Grande Council of Governments for three years. He held the FAA waiver for three Southwest Airlines Air Shows. He was responsible to the FAA for all safety compliance.

Lew served on the Board of the New Mexico Baptist Children's Home for eight years, which he enjoyed so much, and he loved the children there. Lew and Fern have been members of Del Norte Baptist Church in Albuquerque since 1974.

Services for Lew will be held Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 9:30 a.m., at FRENCH - Wyoming. Interment will follow at Santa Fe National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. Friends may visit FRENCH - Wyoming on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.