Circle of Life : Obituaries
Bonnie C. Pankalla, first female graduate of UCM aviation technology program, dead at 72; funeral will be Thursday
Nov 3, 2009, 12:55 PM
WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Bonnie C. Pankalla, 72, of Warrensburg, died Monday, Nov. 2, 2009, at the Warrensburg Manor Care Center.
She was born on May 14, 1937, in Pasadena , Calif. , the daughter of Glen and Naomi (Bowman) Medearis.
On Oct. 30, 1987, she was united in marriage to Paul J. Pankalla in Alexandria, Va.
Bonnie had attended 12 different elementary/secondary schools in 12 years, graduating from Windsor High School in 1954. She obtained her pilots license while taking lessons at Lake Sexton Airpor, south of Warrensburg. Bonnie enrolled at CMSU as an Aviation Technology student, graduating in May 1974 with a B.S. degree.
While at CMSU she had several firsts to her credit. She was the first woman graduate of the Aviation Technology Program, first woman instructor in the Department of Power and Transportation, first CMSU student to receive the Airline Transport Pilot certificate. (She was the first female pilot in the state of Missouri to receive the ATP.) She was the first in Missouri and the first CMSU student to fly in the Powder Puff Derby.
Shortly before her graduation from CMSU, Ms. Pankalla became the chief pilot for Harmon Industries of Grain Valley. In 1977, she was employed by the Federal Aviation Administration in West Chicago, Ill. as an Operations Aviation Safety Inspector.
Bonnie held many offices and positions in her tenure with FAA and eventually retired as Deputy Regional Manager of Fiscal & Material Services of the Great Lakes Region.
Bonnie and her husband Paul retired to Hot Springs Village, Ark. for several years before relocating to Warrensburg to be closer to her family. While in Arkansas she served as president of the Arkansas Republican Women.
She was a life long member of P.E.O. and was raised in the Baptist faith.
Survivors include her husband Paul Pankalla of Warrensburg; 2 sons, Bill Ferguson and his wife Ruth of La Monte and Bob Ferguson and his wife Melissa of Windsor; her mother Naomi Medearis of Gardner, Kan. ; one sister, Carol Sands and her husband Ron of Ottawa, Kan.; 4 grandchildren; and 1 great-granddaughter.
The funeral will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home, Warrensburg.
Chaplain Erich Kurz will be officiating.
Burial will be in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Higginsville, Mo. Pallbearers are Ron Sands, Aaron Ferguson, Bruce Aeschbacher, Randy Rittman, Dennis Dohrman and Steve Austin.
The family will receive friends on Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. to service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Crossroads Hospice and may be left at the funeral home.
She was born on May 14, 1937, in Pasadena , Calif. , the daughter of Glen and Naomi (Bowman) Medearis.
On Oct. 30, 1987, she was united in marriage to Paul J. Pankalla in Alexandria, Va.
Bonnie had attended 12 different elementary/secondary schools in 12 years, graduating from Windsor High School in 1954. She obtained her pilots license while taking lessons at Lake Sexton Airpor, south of Warrensburg. Bonnie enrolled at CMSU as an Aviation Technology student, graduating in May 1974 with a B.S. degree.
While at CMSU she had several firsts to her credit. She was the first woman graduate of the Aviation Technology Program, first woman instructor in the Department of Power and Transportation, first CMSU student to receive the Airline Transport Pilot certificate. (She was the first female pilot in the state of Missouri to receive the ATP.) She was the first in Missouri and the first CMSU student to fly in the Powder Puff Derby.
Shortly before her graduation from CMSU, Ms. Pankalla became the chief pilot for Harmon Industries of Grain Valley. In 1977, she was employed by the Federal Aviation Administration in West Chicago, Ill. as an Operations Aviation Safety Inspector.
Bonnie held many offices and positions in her tenure with FAA and eventually retired as Deputy Regional Manager of Fiscal & Material Services of the Great Lakes Region.
Bonnie and her husband Paul retired to Hot Springs Village, Ark. for several years before relocating to Warrensburg to be closer to her family. While in Arkansas she served as president of the Arkansas Republican Women.
She was a life long member of P.E.O. and was raised in the Baptist faith.
Survivors include her husband Paul Pankalla of Warrensburg; 2 sons, Bill Ferguson and his wife Ruth of La Monte and Bob Ferguson and his wife Melissa of Windsor; her mother Naomi Medearis of Gardner, Kan. ; one sister, Carol Sands and her husband Ron of Ottawa, Kan.; 4 grandchildren; and 1 great-granddaughter.
The funeral will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home, Warrensburg.
Chaplain Erich Kurz will be officiating.
Burial will be in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Higginsville, Mo. Pallbearers are Ron Sands, Aaron Ferguson, Bruce Aeschbacher, Randy Rittman, Dennis Dohrman and Steve Austin.
The family will receive friends on Thursday afternoon from 1 p.m. to service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Crossroads Hospice and may be left at the funeral home.
