Eugene “Gene” Fredrich Maahs of Hermiston passed away in Hermiston on May 14, 2023 at the age of 81.
He was born on Aug. 8, 1941 in Julesburg, Colo.
As a child, Gene lived in Colorado and Minnesota until 1953 when his family moved to Corvallis, where they owned a dairy farm. This would be his home with his parents, Leonard and Faythe and siblings, Bill and Ken until they moved again in 1956 to a dairy farm east of Harrisburg. Gene attended Harrisburg High School, where he played sports and graduated with honors in 1959. He then began his education at Oregon State University, where he completed a few semesters before choosing to join the National Guard in 1960. After the National Guard he would start working at a lumber mill in McMinnville. This is where he met his first wife, Kathy McCarty and they had three children, Leslie, Patrick and Brandon Maahs.
Gene’s next move was to Baker City, where his passion for aviation began. In 1969 his flying career started when he took his first solo flight on March 25 and later earned his private pilot’s license on May 17. From here he acquired his commercial, instrument, instructor certification, multi-engine rating and commercial helicopter license, all within five years. Also during this time he did contract work flying fire patrol and fish drops into the high lakes of the Elkhorn Mountains. His love for flying provided a new career opportunity in 1975 as the manager of Baker City Airport, while also working for Columbia Airlines as an air taxi pilot. This is when he met his second wife, Alice Barro, and they were married on June 30, 1976. They and her two children, Margie and Rob moved to Hermiston, where they would finally settle down.
In Hermiston Gene would start Maah’s Flying Service in 1979, where he continued to do charter work and flight instruction. In 1981 he started crop dusting for Intervalley Aviation, and eventually bought the business four years
later and renamed it Ag Northwest, Inc. He and Alice would run this business for 22 years before selling it to his son-in-law and daughter, Ted and Margie Pesicka. He flew for Ted and Margie one year before retiring.
In 1996, he got his multi-engine amphibious sea plane rating in his very own 1941 Grumin Widgeon, which would be the pride and joy of his fleet. This rating would be signed off by Merrill Wein, whose grandfather started Wein Airlines, later becoming Alaska Airlines. Alaska would be where he often took his Widgeon, flying into lakes and rivers to hunt caribou and moose, taking his wife Alice on trips, and lots of salmon fishing. Gene would stop tracking his flight hours at over 35,000 and would receive a Master Pilot award in 2020 from the FAA for 50 years of aviation safety.
Aviation was not his only passion. Throughout his life he was an avid hunter and fisherman, which started early on in his life. During his many flying adventures, he used these opportunities to scout for game and find new places to hunt and fish. This took him all throughout Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. He eventually made his way as far as Mongolia for the hunt of a lifetime, hunting and harvesting a bull elk. Later in life he enjoyed training mules, taking them to his favorite spots he had flown over many times in the Elkhorn Mountains.
In retirement he continued to start every day at 4 a.m., as all ag pilots do, starting with a swim in his pool – even if he had to break the ice in the winter to get in. He followed that with a cup of coffee in the hot tub, where he would watch the sun rise. After that you could count on finding him at the golf course nearly every day. He often played with the morning group at Big River Golf Course, and especially enjoyed playing with his son-in-law Ted and grandson Michael. But he wasn’t there to play easy – everyone knew how competitive he was and that you always had to play for a prize. It was this competitive nature that would lead him to win countless tournaments.
Gene’s unwavering love for his wife Alice was an inspiration to our family as he cared for her throughout her Alzheimer’s diagnosis over the last decade.
Although most were familiar with his rough and tough exterior, his patience and dedication to Alice were true demonstrations of the love he had for her.
Gene is survived by his wife of 48 years, Alice; children, Leslie Maahs, Patrick Maahs, Brandon Maahs, Margie (Ted) Pesicka and Rob Espinoza; 12 grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and brother, Ken (Holly) Maahs.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Faythe Maahs and brother, Bill Maahs.
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on July 9, 2023 at the Maxwell Event Center in Hermiston.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please go to burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
