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by mfrance » Fri May 17, 2019 7:25 pm
Darrel Shumard
The life and service of World War II pilot Darrel Shumard will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on June 8 at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building.
The public service will include full military honors for Shumard, a longtime Sebastopol resident who died at his home April 7, 2019, at the age of 97.
The native of Illinois went to war following the attack on Pearl Harbor and trained to fly fighter planes. His Republic P-47 Thunderbolt went down during a mission over Germany on Valentine's Day of 1945 and he was taken prisoner.
Following liberation and an honorable discharge, he began a career in road construction in Southern California, married Madeline Hood and reared a family. The couple retired to Sebastopol in 1986. Madeline passed away in 2010.
Darrel Shumard was a stalwart of the Pacific Coast Air Museum and continued to fly well into his 90s. He and his classic Army jeep were for many years celebrated fixtures at Sonoma County parades and gathering of military gatherings.