Elmegreen leaves lasting impact, legacy on Monticello community

     For over 50 years, Paul Elmegreen of Monticello not only managed his own business, Monticello Aviation, out of the Monticello Regional Airport, but also served as the city’s FBO (fixed-base operator).

     Elmegreen was hired in 1965, and never left the airport. He passed away on Oct. 27 at the age of 79.

     He was a dedicated community servant for 54 years, and loved nothing more than growing the Monticello airport, making it something proud the city, region, and state could be proud of.

     So much so that in 2014, Elmegreen was honored by the Iowa Aviation Museum. The museum was working toward storing and telling the history of Iowa’s rich aviation heritage.

     Elmegreen was a member of several aviation groups: Associated Pilots of Iowa, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the National Air Transportation Association. In 2015, Elmegreen was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Monticello Chamber of Commerce.

     Elmegreen touched many lives and made huge impacts on the Monticello community in the time he’s lived and worked here, and raised his family.

     The Monticello Express announced Elmegreen’s arrival in the Jan. 20, 1966 issue: “A new Monticello firm, Monticello Aviation Service, will open soon, manager Paul Elmegreen announced this week.

     “The firm will feature Cessna sales and services and will offer flight instruction and charter services.”

     As of that article, Elmegreen had been flying for four years, a native of Davenport. After his return home from serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, Elmegreen worked as a mechanic for the Davenport airport. His obituary mentions he then became a private pilot and continued his advanced training. He eventually earned his commercial pilot’s license before moving to Monticello in 1964 to work as a pilot for David Cuckler (Cuckler Steel Span Co.).

     Not a year went by following his arrival in Monticello that Elmegreen’s name or the airport wasn’t mentioned in the Express.

     Shortly after Elmegreen was hired as the airport manager, the new airport was dedicated on Oct. 16, 1966. This “marked the beginning on a new era for an small, but growing community in Eastern Iowa,” stated an Express article from Aug. 1, 1984. “The airport soon became a vital part of the community.”

     Elmegreen was quoted at the time as saying, “I don’t know of too many towns this size with this good of a facility.”

     The airport has provided numerous services over the years, thanks in large part to Elmegreen, “that have helped make this community more attractive in many ways.”

     Those services have included, flight instruction/lessons, air taxi services, fueling services, hangar storage, aircraft maintenance, charter services, etc.

     Elmegreen long-time office manager, Teresa Bader (who started working at the airport in 1987), credited him for the growth of the airport, noting the longer runway that was built in the late 1990s, the crosswind runway in 1990, and automated fueling system, and many new hangars to handle the growing demand for airplane storage.

     “The airport is used by many businesses in Monticello and surrounding towns,” Bader said.

     “There is a lot of pride at this airport,” Elmegreen was quoted as saying in the Aug. 1984 Express. “I don’t know of too many towns of this size with this good of a facility.”

     At the time, Elmegreen said many well-known figures have flown into the Monticello airport: presidential candidate Walter Mondale, Gov. Terry Branstad, Sen. Roger Jepsen, and entertainer Roy Clark.

     The Monticello airport held an annual fly-in-drive-in breakfast every summer, something Elmegreen always looked forward to doing because it showcased the expanding facility to so many people from miles around. However, in 1988, Elmegreen was excited to host the Cessna ’88, which brought more attention to the airport than anyone could ever imagine.

     Over the years, the airport was seen as a community service, much like the library and swimming pool. Elmegreen was credited for his dedication to the airport in 1995, for keeping it well staffed and well attended at all hours.

     “An unattended airport is not as attractive as an attended airport,” Elmegreen said in a July 26, 19995 article in the Express. “That kind of service is not available anywhere.

     “The Monticello airport is pretty popular for a town this size. It pays some dividends to the local economy.”

     In 2013, the new David E. Cuckler Terminal Building was dedicated at the airport.

     In 2018, a new hangar was built and dedicated during the annual fly-in breakfast.

     Long-time Airport Board member Charlie Becker has always praised Elmegreen for his service to the airport. Becker penned several letters to the editor over the years, and most recently shared his history and friendship with Elmegreen.

     That friendship was strengthened in 2013 when a camper went missing from Camp Courageous, of which Becker is director. Elmegreen and a local pilot quickly took to the skies in a plane from the Monticello airport to help search for the missing camper. As luck would have it, Elmegreen located the camper.

     “We were just in the right place at the right time,” Elmegreen said in a July 31, 2013 article in the Express. “I was delighted to be of some assistance. It was nothing heroic.”

     Becker shared that Elmegreen was a great supporter of Camp Courageous over the years by giving campers rides in the planes and flying the founders of Casey’s and Kum & Go to Monticello to visit Camp.

     “Paul taught hundreds and hundreds of us how to fly,” recalled Becker. “His love of aviation and love to share that joy inspired many pilots of all capabilities. Those of us who had the opportunity to serve on the airport board did it for decades due to our appreciation and deep respect for Paul’s service.

     “The City of Monticello and Monticello Regional Airport will greatly miss Paul Elmegreen,” continued Becker. “But what an incredible legacy he leaves behind for future generations.”

     “We worked well together,” recalled Bader. “Paul would let me and the guys work on our own and he would check in and ask how things were going and what was schedule for the day.

     “I will miss his sense of humor and stores about his flying experiences.”

     City Administrator Doug Herman said the city never had to worry about the operations at the Monticello airport, under Elmegreen’s care.

     “It was always well taken care of,” Herman said. “Paul had a long-time connection and love of the airport. He did everything for the betterment of the aiport.”

     Both Becker and Herman noted that it was Elmegreen who gave the Monticello airport the reputation it had throughout the state. Herman said it’d be hard to replace Elmegreen in that capacity.

     Elmegreen leaves behind his wife Wanda, two children/in-laws James (Harumi Yamaji) Elmegreen and Jennifer (Tom) Funk, and five grandchildren.

     “Paul was very proud of his family,” noted Bader. “He would always have a big smile on his face when talking about his kids, grandkids and his wife who he referred to as ‘Wonderful Wanda.’”

     Becker said the only thing that exceeded Elmegreen’s love of aviation was his love for this family. “He often talked about what joy they brought him.”