More detail on this person: Hemorrhaged during
brain biopsy surgery. Brain cancer.It is with
heavy heart that I inform you that Steve MacWillie
has passed. He died at 0658 this morning. He went
into a brain biopsy surgery yesterday morning to
determine the type of brain tumor he had. He
hemorrhaged during surgery and slipped into a deep
coma. The tumor was in fact malignant and fast
spreading. Steve's family was at his bedside when
he very peacefully left us.
Details on a Memorial service at Ft Rucker will be
forthcoming. However, tentative plans are for
Friday morning, April 14th at the Aviation
Museum.
From: Skip Fritz
Col. (Ret) Stephen Saxton MacWillie died at the
University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham on
Saturday, April 8, 2006.
A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Friday, April
14, at the Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker.
In lieu of floral arrangements, the family request
donations to the Stephen S. MacWillie Memorial
Fund, PO Box 310043, Enterprise, AL 36331-0443,
to aid and benefit cancer research.
Stephen was born in New York City on Dec. 23,
1940, to Donald M. MacWillie and Virginia Saxton
MacWillie. His early years were spent as a
military dependent and he developed a global view
of the world early in life. Stephen graduated from
Immaculata High School in Leavenworth, Kan., and
attended Norwich University. Steve joined the U.S.
Army in 1964 and was commissioned 2nd
lieutenant in the Field Artillery in 1965. Steve
started Army flight training at Fort Walters,
Texas, and received his Army Aviator wings at Fort
Rucker in 1966. Steve served his first tour of
duty in Vietnam in 1967 with the 229th Aviation
Battalion, 1st Cav Division. While serving his
second tour in the Republic of South Vietnam, CPT
MacWillie was the Chief, New Equipment Training
Team for the introduction of the OH-58 Kiowa into
the aviation fleet as the new scout helicopter.
Steve graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical
University in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 1974. Steve
and the former Phyllis Ann Fraker of Missouri were
married in 1972. Steve had subsequent career
building assignments and as the Chief of the
Concepts and Studies Branch at Fort Rucker, he
led the Army's Light Helicopter Program (LHX)
initial determination of requirements. After
graduation from the U.S. Army War College in
1988, Steve and Phyllis returned to Fort Rucker
where he had assignments at the TRADOC System
Manager for Comanche, and finally as the director
of Combat Developments. Steve retired from active
duty in 1993 and continued his life-long support
and involvement in Army Aviation as a supporting
contractor. Throughout his life and career, Steve
was a tremendously knowledgeable mentor and
friend to innumerable people. Steve was a member
of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany,
Enterprise. He was a life member of the Army
Aviation Association of America, the Retired
Officer Association, Viet Nam Helicopter Pilots
Association, Association of the United States
Army, and the American Helicopter Society.
Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Col.
(Ret) and Mrs. Donald M. MacWillie, and his
sister, Bonnie Brandolino.
He is survived by his wife, Phyllis of Enterprise;
and his daughter, Virginia-Ann Saxton MacWillie
(Ginny), of Arcata, Calif.; his sister, Nanci M.
George of Albuquerque, N.M.; brother LTC (Ret)
Donald M. MacWillie Jr. of Killeen, Texas; and a
special nephew, Col. Donald M. MacWillie III,
commander of the 4th AVN Brigade, currently
serving in Iraq, and his wife, Sherry of Fort
Hood, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews in
Texas, New Mexico and Missouri.
Searcy Funeral Home in Enterprise, (334)
347-2517, is in charge of arrangements. Sign the
guestbook online at www.dothaneagle.com.
Published in the Dothan Eagle from 4/9/2006 -
4/11/2006.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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