Elaine Rachel Berriochoa McCalley
Our mom, our friend, our mentor and our confidante passed peacefully into the arms of her loving god on Sunday, August 4, 2024, free now to soar with the angels that have guided and protected her throughout her long life. Elaine Hunt Berriochoa McCalley passed away at the age of 106 after having done just about everything she could possibly have imagined and much more. Her passions were her family, her friends, and her flying. Throughout her life she never lost her lust for adventure, and if she would have had the opportunity, she would willingly have taken a ride into space. Now, she soars through the heavens on her own set of wings, free and unfettered, wrapped in the warm embrace of her family and friends who have gone before her.
Elaine was born in Pullman, Washington on June 5, 1918, the only child of Hugh and Sigrid Hunt. Her parents moved to Gooding, Idaho when she was just 9 months old where they took over a family farm. It was in Gooding where the passion to fly was ignited; a passion that burned throughout the rest of her life. A barnstormer had come through Gooding one day in an aircraft known as a Pitcairn Auto Gyro and she begged her parents to let her go for a ride. She was all of 16. Despite their misgivings her parents agreed. Up she went, and she was hooked from then on…so much so that during her senior year at Gooding High School she joined several of her friends on a senior sneak to Boise where they immediately headed for the airport for airplane rides. Upon graduation from Gooding High School, she entered Gooding College and after two years was offered a job with a local furniture company. With a steady income assured she began her next big adventure, learning to fly with the Gooding Flying Club.
In 1938 she moved to Boise to take a job with the Idaho State Employment Security Department and continued to take flying lessons from instructors at Webb Flying Service at the Boise airport, now the site of Boise State University. While learning to fly she met Val Berriochoa, a dashing young pilot who would eventually win her heart and her hand in marriage.
Elaine obtained her private pilot license in November 1939. In April 1940 she became the first woman in Idaho to hold a commercial rating and throughout the remainder of her life was an inspiration to all women who wanted to fly. She provided outstanding leadership to the Idaho aviation community prior to World War II through her presidency of the Idaho Women Pilots Association. She tackled many difficult projects, not the least of which was leading a staff of volunteers who produced the first air show at Boise’s new airport known as Gowen Field in June 1940.
After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor her husband Val received his draft notice and was assigned as an advanced flight instructor in Fort Worth, Texas. Shortly after his arrival in Texas he sent for Elaine and they were married in the home of friends by a Methodist minister.
With the war’s end, Elaine and Val returned to Idaho, living first in Boise, then in Mountain Home. Elaine’s opportunities to fly diminished significantly as she became a homemaker and mother, but she never lost her passion for aviation.
Three years after Val’s passing in 1960 she met and married Bob McCalley. He shared the same passion for adventure and after the two had retired they traveled the world, him teaching Elaine about his love of railroading. In between railroad outings you would find them camping and exploring the lakes and rivers of the western United States and Canada in Bob’s Old Town canoe. Bob passed away in 1994.
Because of her outstanding leadership in the advancement of women in aviation, Elaine was inducted into the Idaho Aviation Hall of Fame in 1999. That same year she was honored with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot award by the Federal Aviation Administration. She was also honored by the City of Mtn. Home which proclaimed June 13, 2012 as Elaine McCalley day in recognition of her many contributions to the betterment of the city.
Elaine worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Mountain Home before moving over to the U.S Forest Service office as a clerk-typist for the Mountain Home Ranger District. She was a member of P.E.O Chapter W for more than 50 years, serving in a variety of leadership capacities and initiated the chapter’s monthly newsletter that kept members connected to each other.
Elaine is survived by her daughter Valerie Price (Sumner) of Mountain Home and her son Mike Berriochoa (Michele), of Kennewick, Washington; her step sons Rod McCalley (Peggy) of Palo Alto, California; Drew McCalley (Marilyn), of Sea Ranch, California; step daughter Mary Dudley (David) of Ola, Idaho, along with three grandsons, a step a step grandson, a step granddaughter and six great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her grandson David Berriochoa.
In lieu of flowers Elaine asked that memorial contributions be made to the scholarship fund of Chapter W, P.E.O. Donations should be sent to Chapter W, c/o Linda Ramsey 3745 Old Highway 30 Mountain Home, Idaho 83647. Please indicate that the contribution is for the memorial for Elaine McCalley.
A celebration luncheon to honor Elaine will be held at 12:00pm, noon, Friday, September 6, 2024 at the First Congregational Church at 515 East 15th North Street in Mtn. Home, Idaho.
Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.