More detail on this person: James Walter Gebryel, 82, Major, U.S. Army (Ret.), Vietnam veteran, Dust Off pilot, husband, father, commercially rated pilot, flight instructor, photographer, and FAA Aviation Safety Inspector and Supervisor, passed away Friday, April 10th, 2026, at his home in Westfield, Massachusetts. Jim was born in Brooklyn, NY on April 28th, 1943 to Walter B. Gebryel and Veronica Gebryel (Muller), the eldest of two children, while his father was serving in the 2nd Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In 1950, his family settled in Derby, CT, where he attended St. Mary's School and Notre Dame High School in West Haven, CT. Jim had an idyllic childhood with his sister, Kathy, growing up around farms, capturing fireflies in jars, and developing an interest in all things technical_ building homemade rockets and taking apart a car engine just to see how it worked. He attended the University of Connecticut, joining the ROTC program, completing boot camp, beginning fixed-wing training, and earning his BA in 1965. Commissioned a 2nd Lt., he reported for active duty in December 1965 to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for training in the Medical Service Corps. He then volunteered for Army Aviation training as a helicopter pilot, attending the U.S. Army Helicopter Flight School at Fort Wolters, TX and Fort Rucker, AL from April 1966 through January 1967. After graduating, he was assigned to Vietnam, serving with the 43rd Medical Group and 254th Medical Detachment as a Pilot and Aircraft Commander of a Medical Evacuation (Medivac, "Dust Off") UH-1 Helicopter in Nha Trang, flying countless hours of missions in an unarmed aircraft and completing his tour in February 1968. Upon returning to the U.S., he was assigned to Helicopter Crash Rescue at Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart, GA, while obtaining civilian FAA Commercial Pilot and Instrument ratings in fixed-wing and a Commercial Pilot rating in rotary-wing aircraft. After leaving active duty in December 1968, he accepted a management position at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, CT, served as a UH-1 pilot in the Connecticut Army National Guard from 1969-1970 and again from 1975-1983, and earned an MBA from the University of Hartford in 1972. It was through his work on the Northwest Connecticut Regional EMS Committee that he met his future wife, Elethea M. Goodkin, in 1974. On August 19, 1977, he eloped with Elethea at the Cornwall, CT home of the then-Justice of the Peace. He then added Flight Instructor, Multi-Engine, and Airline Transport Pilot certificates to his credentials, serving as Flight Instructor and Charter Pilot with Berkshire Aviation in Great Barrington, MA, before joining the FAA in November 1981 at the Boston ARTCC in Nashua, NH as a Flight Systems Specialist. In 1983, he was selected as an Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) at the FAA Miami FSDO, relocating to South Florida for inspections, check rides, and accident investigations, before transferring to the Fort Lauderdale FSDO in 1984. In August 1986 he transferred to the Barnes FSDO in Westfield, MA, and in 1987 to the Windsor Locks FSDO at Bradley International Airport (BDL), where he became a Front Line Manager, a role he held until retiring from the FAA in 2005. He then took up photography and became a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. Jim was a vibrant, radiant soul, passionate about the welfare of family and friends, about his country and the people who serve it and make it whole. He was especially dedicated to those in our military who sacrificed their lives for the country and to those still missing in action, and honored them all in spirit throughout his life. Jim is survived by his son, Jesse M. Gebryel; his beloved sisters-in-law, Sybil Goodkin, Krista Allen, and Karen Goodkin; his nieces, Allyson Zipp (wife, Deven), Alaina Zipp, and Kayla Dombroski (husband, Dan); his nephews, David and Robert Goodkin, Ryan (wife, April) and Jacob Allen (wife, Chloe), and Richard Maindon (wife, Lisa); his grandnephews, Xander Zipp, Alex Maindon, Dylan and Logan Dombroski; his grandnieces, Isabella Maindon and Rilee Dombroski; and his brother-in-law, Patrick Allen. He was predeceased by his loving spouse and true friend, Elethea M. Goodkin; his parents, Walter B. Gebryel and Veronica Gebryel (Muller); his sister, Kathy Maindon; and his brother-in-law, Harrison Goodkin. A memorial service will be held at the Southwick Congregational Church, 488 College Hwy, Southwick, MA 01077, on June 20th, 2026 at 12:00 PM. Reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Operation Homefront; Wounded Warriors; Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund; or Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.
This information was last updated 06/01/2026
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Date posted on this site: 07/15/2026
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