Jean Charles Savoie Obituary

Jean Charles Savoie, 84 years old of Mesa, AZ took a fast plane to heaven on July 19, 2019, at home. Jean came down with Valley Fever in April 2019, along with congestive heart failure, COPD, and several bouts of pneumonia, he was not able to overcome it. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 12th at 11 a.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church located at 2745 N. 32nd St, Mesa, AZ 85213.

Lunch will be served after the service. A private Military service will be held on August 8th at the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ. Jean was born on February 10, 1935 in Manchester, NH to Paul and Rose (Gagne) Savoie, and was raised there. Jean graduated from Bishop Bradley High School in 1953. After high school he attended St. Anselm's College in Manchester.

In February of 1955 he joined the National Guard, serving for about 18 months before enlisting in the United States Air Force. As an Airman he became an Educational Specialist and was stationed at a variety of bases including Clark Air Base in the Philippines. In 1960 he had the opportunity to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS) which he graduated from and became a pilot, his life long dream.

He was honorably discharged in 1966 at the rank of Captain. Jean then began his commercial flying career with Pan American World Airways. Pan Am was a wonderful company to work for, it was more like a family. He was based in San Francisco, New York, and Miami. Pan Am sold their Pacific routes to United Airlines in 1986. Jean was one of 430 pilots that were part of the deal.

He finished his flying career with United, retiring as a 767 Captain in 1995. He safely flew 29 years of commercial aviation. Although always looking for one, he never saw a UFO. Jean married Carol in 1981 in Reno, NV. They were happily married for 37 years. Jean was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mesa. In retirement, Jean first wanted to finish his Bachelor's Degree.

So, he enrolled at Arizona State University. He graduated in 2000 with a degree in Anthropology. He was fortunate to go on a "dig" in the country of Jordan as part of his education. Jean began playing the violin as a teenager. He enjoyed the Boston Pops growing up. He continued to play the violin and often would take the violin on his trips so he could practice more.

At Bethlehem Lutheran Church he had the opportunity to play the violin with the pianist during worship service for many, many years. He also participated in a Christmas play. His love of airplanes did not diminish in retirement. He was a long-time member of the Arizona Model Aviators, a group of airplane enthusiasts who fly gas or electric model planes.

Jean also enjoyed flying his drones. He had also been a member of the Commemorative Air Force in Mesa where he organized a 2, 500 book library. In retirement, Jean and Carol traveled a lot, initially in their motorhome, then taking cruises but most importantly taking family trips especially to NH and FL. He loved spending time with his family, reminiscing about the "old" days, and enjoying the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Jean was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Rose Emma Savoie, sister-in-law Irene Savoie, and brother-in-law Ken Morrison. Jean is survived by his wife, Carol of Mesa, AZ; daughter, Margaret (Herb) Flanders of Seabrook, NH; son, Paul (Heather) Savoie of St. Augustine, FL; son, John (Cindy) Savoie of Sparks, NV; son, Phillip Savoie of Mesa, AZ; brother, Louis Savoie of DeBary, FL; sister, Louise Provencher of Peterborough, NH; sister, Denise Savoie of St. Marks, FL; sister, Connie Morrison of DeBary, FL; brother-in-law, Bob French of Creston, CA; granddaughter, Stephanie Scagel of Seabrook, NH; granddaughter, Christel (James) Nazario of Lawrence, MA, granddaughter, Amanda Smith of Seabrook, NH; grandson, Mathew Smith of Raymond, NH; grandson, Sam Savoie of Sparks, NV; granddaughter, Savannah Savoie of Sparks, NV; great-granddaughter Faith Smith of Seabrook, NH; great-grandson, Mike Smith of Lawrence, MA; great-granddaughter, Taylor Scagel of Seabrook, NH; great-grandson, Jacob Scagel of Seabrook, NH; great-grandson, Jay Smith of Raymond, NH; and his nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Final arrangements entrusted to Sonoran Skies Mortuary (480-985-4900).