Evelyn Goodfellow

Evelyn Goodfellow grew up in Bellingham, Washington, and knew from the age of eight that she wanted to work on airplanes. She earned an engineering degree, was commissioned in the Air Force in 1988, and served as a maintenance officer with the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing.

In August 1990 Evelyn deployed to Saudi Arabia in the opening days of Operation Desert Shield. Through Desert Storm she led a team that kept F-15 fighters flying around the clock in heat, sand, and long nights. Her crews said she never asked anyone to do a job she would not do herself, and that she kept a coffee pot going for the whole flight line.

Evelyn left active duty as a Captain in 1996 and came home to Washington. She worked for twenty years as an engineer at Boeing, mentored young women in engineering, and served on the board of a veterans housing nonprofit in Everett. She was a devoted aunt, a terrible but enthusiastic cook, and a fierce competitor at family board games.

Evelyn passed in December 2021 after a short illness. Her family, her many mentees, and the airmen she served with remember her as steady, generous, and quick to laugh. They created this page so her story can be found by anyone who visits her resting place.