Star Elton Obituary

Star Ennis Elton Jr., beloved father, grandfather, decorated veteran, and storyteller of rare talent, passed away peacefully in the early hours of June 19th at his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was 81 years old. Born on May 18, 1944, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Mary Annette Davis and Star Ennis Elton Sr., Star spent his early years in both Kansas City and Gunnison, Colorado. Known to many by his nicknames "Star Man," "Captain Stat," and "Papaw," his life was defined by courage, service, music, and a fiercely protective heart. After high school, Star enlisted in the Navy as a dental technician, hoping to forge a path toward higher education. But a heartbreak and a longing for adventure led him to the skies - and to the Army, where he trained as a helicopter pilot. He served two tours in Vietnam from 1965 to 1969. In 1967, Star was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for an act of extraordinary bravery - a mission he described with characteristic modesty as "a temporary loss of sanity." Disregarding orders to abort, he flew unarmed into enemy territory - twice - to extract fellow soldiers, refusing to leave his brothers behind. While in Vietnam, he also found an outlet for his thoughts and emotions through music. Alongside a fellow pilot, he wrote songs about the war, the most memorable being "Peter Pilot." After an honorable discharge as Chief Warrant Officer in 1969, Star continued flying, working for helicopter companies in Australia and New Guinea, where he once traded his western clothes with Indigenous people for handmade spears and arrows. Star later joined Rocky Mountain Helicopters as lead pilot for St. Joseph Hospital, LifeFlight, Kansas City, Missouri - the fifth hospital-based air ambulance program in the United States. As Rocky Mountain expanded its air medical operations, Star became the Midwest Regional Manager, overseeing operations and development across multiple locations including Kansas City, MO; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, OK, Des Moines and Iowa City, IA, and Omaha, NE. He later joined CareFlight in Reno, NV where he served as lead pilot. In the early 1980's, again with the Rocky Mountain team, established the STAT Flight program at the new Humana Hospital University, Louisville, KY, where he was lead pilot for many years. He retired in 2014 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Star was known for his dark sense of humor, his love of good bourbon (but also, Wild Turkey), his guitar playing, and his unmistakable scent - a mixture of Bay Rum aftershave and whiskey. He was a magnetic storyteller, a deeply loving father and grandfather, a protector by nature, and a man of quiet strength. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Janenne Elton, and his beloved Carol Pettit. He is survived by his children: Star Ennis Elton Ill (Michele), Rhett (Jennifer) Elton, Ryan (Fritzie) Elton, Laura (Elton) Towns and her husband Graham; his sister Suellen (Elton) Blond (Barton); and his grandchildren: Vance Elton, Aster Reid Elton, Liam Rhett Elton, Chase Pagan, Hudson Star Towns, and Vivien Rose Towns. In accordance with his wishes, Star will be cremated and laid to rest alongside his family in Kansas City, Missouri. Expressions of sympathy in his memory may go to the ASPCA and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Star Ennis Elton, Jr., please visit our floral store.