Ellis McEachern

Ellis Allan McEachern was born in Pasadena, California on May 20, 1924 to Thomas and Mary McEachern. He celebrated his 101st birthday this year. On Saturday August 23rd, 2025, he passed peacefully at his home in Spokane, Washington where he was living independently. In the months just prior to his passing, he was expertly cared for by the talented staff at Horizon Hospice.

Ellis joined the Army in 1943 and trained to become a paratrooper. He was assigned to the 101st Airbourne, Air Assault ‘Screaming Eagles’ unit. He participated in 5 combat jumps in WWII. He fought in the Normandy campaign, Ardennes, Rhineland and Battle of the Bulge. He earned six service medals including the Bronze Star.

Ellis, aka “Mac” was a resident of Spokane, Washington for the past 45 years. Prior to moving to Spokane, Mac worked his entire career at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank, California. He had “Top Security Clearance”, working on fuel tanks for what at the time were the military’s most secretive aircraft in development. He worked on the P3 Orion, the U2, the A12 and the SR – 71 Blackbird.

Mac retired from Lockheed at the age of 55 and shortly thereafter, moved to Spokane to be with family. He loved to camp, fish, play poker, and tell stories. He was especially fond of building things to make a process more efficient. He spent a good part of his retirement years thinking about how he could improve a process to save time or offer more convenience. Then, using his hands and tools, he would build ‘contraptions’ to help make a process become more efficient. Mac was a true inventor and solving problems with his inventions became his passion.

More than anything, Mac enjoyed family and friends, especially his best friend Mike Wycoff. He was a great storyteller. He especially enjoyed telling stories with a cold beer and a cigar over the campfire. He loved meeting up with family and friends over a cold beer at the Spokane Eagles Aerie 2 and he always had a story to share. He was super fun, engaging, very friendly and always had a smile for us. He touched many lives in a meaningful way along his life journey. God truly blessed his family and friends by giving us so many years with him.

Those of us left behind will miss him terribly. We love him so much, we rejoice and celebrate that the man we called Dad, Grandpa, Great Grandpa or Mac was a part of our lives for such a long time.

Ellis or “Mac” is preceded in death by his first wife, Norma. He leaves behind his two children Marjorie Jean Duske and husband Manfred, and Allan Lee McEachern and wife Debby, as well as 6 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, his great friend Mike Wycoff and countless friends.

A memorial service with full military honors will be held on Friday September 5, 2025, 9:45am at Washington State Veterans Cemetery, 21702 West Espanola Road, Medical Lake, Washington. A celebration of life reception will follow.