Thomas Eydman

Tom was the youngest son born to Thomas and Ethel Eydman in Missouri. He grew up close to his sister and brother in a loving family. He moved to Chicago to work after graduating from St. Bernice High School. While driving cars cross country for a company, he fell in love with Southern California. His family followed and settled in Long Beach. He was proud to fly 26 missions for the U.S. Army Air Corps out of Suffolk, England. Here he discovered his love of flying, and it remained important to him for the rest of his life. On his last mission, his plane was shot down outside of Berlin. He was captured and a prisoner of war until the war ended more than a year later. Returning to Long Beach, he met the love of his life, Ellie. They were inseparable for 63 years until she passed in February of 2011. Tom and Ellie raised their two daughters in Chino, Calif. He worked 33 years for the telephone company and retired in 1982. With his daughters grown, he moved to Mohave Valley on the Colorado River and enjoyed many years boating, traveling, off-roading and fishing. An avid outdoorsman, he moved to Twin Falls in June of 2010 and enjoyed the beautiful landscape of southern Idaho. He is survived by his sister, Wilma Long of Los Alamitos, Calif.; daughters, Carol Klick (Chris) of Ketchum, Idaho, and Cindy Harrelson of Vallejo, Calif.; and granddaughter, Emily Klick of Nashville, Tenn. He led a wonderful life and will be greatly missed by all. An outdoors celebration of life will be shared by family. Read more: http://magicvalley.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/thomas-eydman/article_b7c6ebaa-8443-5f1b-a54d-2947e85d219f.html#ixzz1jRnmPKtNThomas Eydman passed away peacefully at Bridgeview Estates in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, three days after his 89th birthday.