Harold Gary Orlich

1935 - 2024

Born in Johnston, Iowa, Gary Orlich (September 11, 1935 - March 14, 2024), son of Nikola and Kata Orlich, left his surviving family on March 14, 2024. He is preceded in death by his parents, his eleven siblings, and daughter Amber. His wife and mother of his daughters, Andrea, Alison, and Amber, Binney Addison George Orlich, died in 2006. Wife Mary Ann Dunn Daniels Orlich, Mother of son Todd, deceased in 1983.Gary graduated from Drake University. Serving in the Marine Corps, he was proud to be a Navy-trained Marine pilot, flying A4s. Like this subsonic aircraft, he was tough and agile. After working in the banking industry, Gary claimed his passion for aviation, flying as a Captain for Trans World Airlines, where he served until 1994. Serving in the Iowa National Guard was a source of pride. Gary trained pilots at Saudia Airlines on the Boeing 737. At Asiana Airlines, Gary instructed Korean-based pilots on the B757 aircraft. Known for his focus on safety and duty-time guidelines, he impacted those standards in each niche of his flight career. Training pilots at Flight Safety in Tucson, he instructed in the classroom and simulator. Gary was hired by Paul Allen through TAG Aviation to train pilot crews flying the Boeing 757. Gary flew precious art pieces across the Atlantic to venues in the U.S. Transporting the Portland Trailblazers was an enjoyable assignment, with frequent golf outings shared with various NBA stars. Gary traveled the world and interacted with multiple interesting celebrities. His focus on aviation safety led to his work with Sentient Flight Group, where he evaluated pilots flying private aircraft. Gary's final transport employ was driving for Dial-A-Ride Sun Shuttle. Gary's first love was aviation. His second passion was improving his golf game. Gary is survived by daughter Andrea (Jeff) of Kansas City, daughter Alison (Karl) of Spokane, granddaughters Claire and Hillary and grandson Nicholas of Kansas City, and son Todd (Victoria) of Miami, grandson Griffin of Los Angeles, and granddaughter Emily of New York. Many nieces and nephews love and admire Uncle Gary.Gary is survived by wife Laura K. Orlich and her son Aaron Racine (Barbara), granddaughter Kelly, and grandsons Wyatt and Asa of Kansas City.A memory gathering will be held at grave site at Evergreen Cemetery on April 11, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.Information is available at Adairfuneralhomes.com.