Lorus K. McElyea

Lorus K. (Mac) McElyea of Farmers Branch, Texas died of natural causes on November 6, 2023 at the age of 102. He was a long-time member of Prestonwood Baptist Church.
Born to Earl and Lutie McElyea on January 29, 1921 in Kansas City, Missouri, Mac had an early love of flying and earned his pilot's license as a teenager and then made flying his career.
During World War II, Mac joined the Army Air Corps and served as an instructor pilot teaching the famous Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) to fly at their training field in Sweetwater, Texas. As the war progressed, he transferred to the Air Transport Command where he flew 25 missions carrying equipment and supplies to Europe and flying wounded soldiers back to the United States.
At the conclusion of the war, Mac joined the fledgling American Airlines (AA). Over the next 35 years, he captained every type of aircraft operated by AA – all the way from the DC-3 to the Boeing 747. His stories of the early days of commercial aviation would probably make today's pilots cringe. That was truly the "wild, wild west" of commercial flying. The consummate story-teller, "Captain Mac" never tired of telling those stories to any willing listener.
Forced to retire by FAA and airline rules at age 60, Mac was not about to slow down. Using his retirement benefits, he first bought and managed a ranch in central Texas for a number of years. When he received a lucrative offer for his ranch, he sold it and started purchasing rental properties in the DFW area. He bought a number of apartments and single-family houses in Irving and managed them into his 90s.
Mac was preceded in death by his wife, Loydelle Stevenson Smith McElyea (Delle), his sister, Kathryn Robertson, his brother, Bissel McElyea, and his son, Mike McElyea. He is survived by his grandson, Cameron McElyea, Cameron's mother, Nancy Pope, her husband, Ron Pope, as well as step children, Brad and Mary Smith, Steve and Carolyn Smith, and Terri and Jim Porter, and numerous nieces, nephews, and step-grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The family is particularly grateful to Mac's great-nephew, Travis McKeever, who moved to Farmers Branch and served as Mac's full-time assistant and caregiver for the past two years.
Services for Mac will be held on Tuesday, November 21 st, at 11:00 am at the DFW National Cemetery. Mac will be laid to rest with his beloved wife, Delle.
Mac was a truly great man with a huge heart. He leaves behind many fond memories.