Anyone who knew Clyde Coryell would agree that his 60-year dedication to and passion for the Chicago Executive Airport earned him the respect of everyone who knew him there.

Since his passing, stories of Clyde’s unbridled work ethic, quirky sense of humor, and sheer pride in his airport role have surfaced and beg to be shared.

Clyde joined the Navy after high school which allowed him to travel the world. Following his service, while he was performing construction work at the airport, he impressed the airport’s owner, Charlie Priester, who promptly hired him as part of the maintenance team. He worked tirelessly there until his mid-80’s, finally retiring in 2020.

“I could tell right away he was a good guy,” Priester says. “He became one of those very dependable people who would do anything to make sure a job was done well.”

Some say that Clyde touched every part of the airport…. Hangar Restaurant, 94th Aero squadron, first control tower, first Beacon, airport lighting, snow plowing runways, HVAC systems. According to Priester, years ago when the airport air conditioning systems started to cause problems, Clyde voluntarily attended night school to learn air conditioning repair. “You just don’t see that every day,” Priester says.

Mark Roscoe, Director of Public Works for the City of Prospect Heights, met Clyde 40 years ago. “We are distant cousins, Clyde and I, but I didn’t really get to know him well until we ran into each other at the airport around eight years ago,” Roscoe explains. “After we reconnected, he would stop in to regularly check in on me and see how I was doing. He carried great pride in his work and reminded to always do the right thing.”
The person at the airport who knew Clyde the best is Al Palicki of Signature Aviation and Clyde’s supervisor for many years. “We met 46 years ago, and it feels like we have been together forever,” Palicki says. “I have never seen anyone work so hard. No one works into their 80’s if they aren’t good and don’t love it.”

Palicki recalls a story about Clyde that still makes him laugh today. “He was on a lift fixing something that was about four stories up,” he explains. “He didn’t have any safety gear on, so I yelled up to him to put on the fall protection. He responded by putting his leg jauntily over the railing and shouted back down that he was really more concerned about damaging the concrete if he fell. Of course, he put on the safety gear.”
Over the years, Palicki and Clyde became great friends and helped each other out as friends do. One night after Clyde’s retirement, Palicki received a late-night call from a local casino manager. Apparently, unbeknownst to anyone, Clyde had been enjoying himself there and had appointed Palicki as his ride home.

Clyde’s impact on the airport and the people who collaborated with him will not be forgotten. “A man like Clyde is hard to replace. He was a good guy and a great friend,” Priester recalls.

 

Forever In Loving Memory, Clyde Coryell.

Tailwinds For You, Wherever You May Be.