Michael D. KINDYA

1923 - 2019

KINDYA, Michael D. Michael Douglas Kindya passed away peacefully June 27th, 2019 in Wenatchee, WA. He was born October 18, 1923 in Scalp Level, PA to Michael and Julia Kindya. His family moved to New York City soon thereafter. He attended Brooklyn Prep and graduated from Stuyvesant High School. Mike joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served with the 385th Heavy Bombardment Group - 548th Bomb Squadron based in Great Ashfield, England. He completed 25 missions on B-17s flying over Europe, serving as a flight engineer/top gunner and later as a lead crew/radar operator. His bomb group was the last B-17 group to be fired upon by the Germans. As the war ended in 1945, he flew food mercy missions to Holland. Mike was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medals with Oak Leaf Clusters, Conspicuous Service Cross and the Liberation of France medals. In 2015 Mike became a French Legion of Honor recipient. After his discharge, Mike made his way out West to Spokane where he met and married his wife of 40 years, Sharon. He was a loan officer and Real Estate Broker with Metropolitan Mortgage and Securities, retiring in 1990. Mike stayed busy during retirement traveling throughout Europe and the U.S. with Sharon. Mike served as past commander of the American Legion Post #9, as well as being a member of the 385th Bomb Group Memorial Association and the 8th Air Force Historical Society. Mike was preceded in death by his wife Sharon. He is survived by his sons Randy Kindya and Mel Runner, daughter Lisa LaFayette and grandchildren Steven, Michelle, Melissa, Jessica and Ian, and great-grandson Logan. A service will be held for Mike at Greenwood Terrace in Spokane on Saturday, the 27th of July at 2:30 pm.