Thomas Andrew Champley

Thomas “Tom” Champley passed away on June 26th, 2024 at the age of 74, at his home in Summerlin, Nevada with his wife Kathy and son Tyler by his side. After battling cancer for nearly four long years, Tom said goodbye to his loved ones and took the hand of Jesus while looking out at the Red Rock Mountains that he so greatly loved.

Tom was born to Elizabeth and James Champley on January 16, 1950, in Charleston, West Virginia. He was the second of three sons, with older brother Michael Champley and younger brother David Champley. As a child, Tom dreamed of becoming a pilot. He graduated from Parks College in 1971 with a degree in aeronautical engineering and made his dream become reality in 1972 when he entered flight school with the US Air Force. Tom served as an instructor pilot for the T38 during the Vietnam War at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona and later at Randolf Air Force Base in Texas. He transitioned out of the Air Force in 1979 as a Captain and began flying for Delta Airlines. Tom flew for Delta for 27 years before retiring as a senior captain in 2006. His retirement didn’t last long, and he flew again briefly with NetJets and then for Costco until he hung up his wings for good in 2014.

Tom met the love of his life, Kathleen “Kathy” Champley in February 1971 and they were married by December 9th of that year in Cleveland, Ohio. The two shared a love for travel, laughter, exuberant Christmas parties, boating, adventure, and moving several times around the country. Together, they have four children, Tyler, Kyle, Kim, and Erin, and nine grandchildren.

Tom loved staying busy and immersed himself in many hobbies, including modelers club, softball, RV club, Bible study, motorcycling, boating, and dinner clubs. He loved spending time with his family and often volunteered in his children’s classrooms, as their coach for various sports teams or as a leader with the Boy Scouts. Tom had a love for speed and if he wasn’t in the air flying, he could be found racing his 1970 Plymouth Duster funny car, “The Culprit”, or later, his dragster. His daughters joined him in a junior dragster and they spent many weekends together at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle. One of Tom’s most beloved memories was an RV trip through Alaska with Kathy, sharing in their love of adventure, art and each other.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11am on Saturday, July 20th, 2024 at Tom and Kathy’s beloved church, Mountain View Presbyterian Church in Summerlin, Nevada.

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds – and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve toped the windswept heights with Easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew, And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.