Suzanne Parish
| Sue Parish | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Suzanne Upjohn DeLano November 13, 1922 New York City, New York U.S. |
| Died | May 12, 2010 (aged 87) Palm Springs, California U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Sue U. Delano Suzanne U. DeLano Parish |
| Occupation | Aviator Co-Founder Kalamazoo Air Zoo |
| Years active | 1941-2010 |
| Spouse(s) | Pete Parish |
| Children | 5 |
Suzanne "Sue" Upjohn DeLano Parish (November 13, 1922 – May 12, 2010) was an American aviator. Parish was a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. In 1977, with her husband, Pete Parish, she was the co-founder of the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, later known as the Air Zoo, after the animal nicknames of the planes.
Parish was born in New York City, the daughter of Dorothy Upjohn DeLano Dalton and H. Allan DeLano. Parish was the maternal granddaughter of William E. Upjohn, the founder of The Upjohn Company, the Michigan pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
In 1942, Parish attended Sarah Lawrence College.
Parish learned to fly in 1941, when she was 19 years old. From the time she was 19 to 21, she had accumulated 350 hours in the air.
When she was 21, Parish joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). She was in the 44-W-6 class and was stationed at Bryan Army Air Base near Bryan, Texas, where she flew P-40, AT-6, and BT-13 planes.
After the war, Parish attempted to get a job as a commercial pilot, to no avail. After marrying Pete Parish in 1948 she had five children and was a full-time mom. In 1958, when her husband purchased a share in a single engine 35C Bonanza, she decided to take up flying once more.
She and her husband soon purchased a Stearman, an AT-6, and a Grumman Wildcat. The last plane they purchased was the P-40.
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