Howard Llewellyn (Lew) Mahieu, 85
Howard Llewellyn (Lew) Mahieu passed away quietly and gently into the loving arms of Jesus Christ on Oct. 18, 2012, at his home on Hayden Lake. He was surrounded by family and friends after a brave battle with the insidious disease of dementia.
Lew was born Jan. 4, 1927, in El Monte, Calif., to Albert Alexis and Mary Jane (Marcum) Mahieu. The family had recently moved to California from Fowler, Kan., to escape an early Dust Bowl condition. They had lost their entire crop in a previous Dust Bowl. When Lew was 2 years old, the family moved to Long Beach, Calif., when his father was commissioned to landscape the new Los Cerritos Country Club. Lew attended Los Cerritos School through eighth grade and then graduated from Polytechic High School in Long Beach in 1945. He attended Long Beach City College and graduated with a degree in art in 1947.
During his growing up years, Lew became fascinated by flight and began to build model airplanes. He became one of the modeling greats destined to make his most memorable marks in the history of the hobby while still in his teens. Using his engineering mind to create new designs for larger flyable craft (known as U-Controls), he designed, at age 16, the Zeek. The Zeek is still recognized as one of the finest designs in the model airplane world. Lew brought great enthusiasm to everything he did even creating another model, the Kiwi in an attempt to break all the model airplane records then held by the Russians (the evil empire of that era with whom America was in competition in every Way)!
Meanwhile, Lew applied his creativity improving the fuel mileage on model airplane engines. Ongoing successes in competition augmented his talents with interest being shown by other modelers in his home-brewed engine fuels. Realizing it was less expensive to package and sell his fuel mixtures than to give them away, he created the Super Sonic fuel label which still sells in hobby stores under the same logo today.
Notwithstanding his many awards and accomplishments Lew also had the unique distinction of becoming the only individual to hold all four AMA Control Line speed records at one time. This achievement has never been duplicated. He broke more than 14 model aviation records in 1948-49. He was elected the youngest president of the largest model airplane club (national and international) the Los Angeles Aero Modelers (400-plus members from 1950-1952 at age 21. He was inducted into the National Free Flight Hall of Fame in 1992 for his contribution to aeronautics and aviation.
In the mid-50s, while working for Douglas Aircraft, he made precision parts in his garage at night and on weekends. He left Douglas in 1956 and started Mahieu Engineering, Inc. (MEI) which specialized in precision machined parts for aerospace, commercial and electronic applications. MEI played a vital role in the heyday of air flight so well represented by the rise of Douglas Aircraft (now known as McDonnell Douglas) and Boeing in California.
Known for his tenacious, enterprising spirit, he expanded beyond MEI. He owned and operated Catalina Airlines, a commuter service between the California mainland and Catalina Island, which produced compromising issues in the beginning. The islanders were a very tight knit group and did not welcome a mainlander airlines, so they refused to allow his passengers to board their buses to Avalon. Not to be discouraged, Lew bought the bus line under his best friend’s name, problem solved. Mahieu Leasing, Inc. was formed after flying to England for a machinery auction, where he purchased 105 machines, had them freighted to Los Angeles and rather than sell them, leased them for the next 20 years, he also restored many airplanes, all at the same time. He was a multi-tasker long before the invention of the term!
In 1984, Lew married Penni Snowden and in 1996, they moved Mahieu Engineering, Inc. to Idaho taking with them several employees and their families. Making his home in Idaho, he traveled and fished in Alaska and Canada, built a home and enjoyed running day to day operations of MEI until he was 80. He sold MEI in 2008 marking 50 years of business. He had maintained some of the same customers for those years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Mary Mahieu and his son, Daniel Mahieu. Survived by his wife, Penni; estranged daughter Michelle (William) Rachels; stepson W. Eric Snowden; estranged grandchildren, Jason Jaurequi of San Diego, Calif., and Rosalinda (Elon) Benshoshan of New York City; great-granddaughter Ellyah Benshoshan; his sister, Juanita Underwood of Ventura, Calif.; sister-in-law Judy Cordes of Coeur d’Alene; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Barbara and Paul Potterton of Green Valley, Ariz., and Bob and Estella Cordes of Liberty Lake, Wash.; nieces, Mary (Bob) Davis and Leah (Jon) Hayes; nephews, Alex (Linda) Underwood and Bryan (Kerry) Cordes; and close cousins, Richard Marcum, Ruth Keeth, LaVerne Walters and Doris Jones. Numerous great- and great-great-grandnieces and nephews as well as many friends, co-workers and others who will miss his bright spirit, infectious smile and can-do attitude.
Lew was an exceptional pilot. Lew and Penni made 92 round-trips to Alaska traveling up the coast as opposed to the “trench,” He loved their home in Alaska and he and Penni spent the last two weeks of May, June, July and August up there every year.
Lew was accomplished in so may ways. He had a beautiful deep bass-baritone singing voice. He also played the trumpet beginning at age 5 and in earlier years considered a career in music. He majored in art in college and was a gifted artist. He loved to talk and tell stories but down deep never felt he was particularly successful.
His memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, at English Funeral Chapel led by Rev. Bob Cordes. His cremated remains will be interred at Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens. He is entrusted to the care of English Funeral Chapel.
A special thank you to Hospice caregivers Joi, Drea, Christina, Katie, Arin and Lori and the Creekside staff. A very special thanks to Home Helpers caregiver Krystall Uzzi.
If desired, memorials may be made to North Idaho Hospice, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.
You may visit Lew’s online memorial and sign his guest book at englishfuneralchapel.com.