Sydney Allard Oakland

Sydney Allard Oakland was born January 4th, 1924 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to Sydney and Gladys Oakland. When he was still quite young, he moved with his family to Lewiston, Idaho, where his father worked for Potlatch Forest, Inc. at the pulp mill. Syd was very active in Boy Scouts, and at one time was the youngest Eagle Scout in the United States, at 12 years old in 1936. Syd was always fascinated by flying, and learned to fly by hanging around the small airport in Lewiston. He joined the Navy for WWII, and taught flying and swimming while he was enlisted. After the war, he and his brother Ted owned and operated a small airfield called Zimmerlies. teaching flying and performing “bush pilot” tasks: flying folks into remote fishing and hunting camps, delivering supplies to people who lived remotely, and occasionally scattering cremains over the forests and lakes, as requested by the families of the deceased. Syd married Helen Haas in Lewiston after the war. Syd was then hired on by American Airlines, and they were transferred to New York City (a big change from Lewiston, Idaho!) They went on to have one daughter. Many years later, Helen and Syd divorced, and Sydney married Jan Mecklavage, who had 3 children from her previous marriage: Karen, Kathy and Lenny. They moved to Menlo Park California. When Syd retired from American Airlines in 1986 they moved to Sagle, Idaho and lived for many years on Lake Pend Oreille. Eventually they moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, and years later following Jan’s stroke to The Bridge Assisted living facility. Sydney is survived by his daughter and stepchildren, his nephews Mike, Doug, Kenneth Oakland and George Haas.