Leilani Mary Durrett

Leilani Mary (Gresham) Durrett, age 71, of Sun Lakes, Arizona, passed away at home on April 18, 2019 in the arms of her husband, John Charles Durrett. Leilani was born in Clarksville, Arkansas on July 23, 1947 to the late Madge (Love) Gresham and James E. Gresham.

Leilani grew up in San Diego, California and graduated from Grossmont High School. She continued her education at San Diego State University, until she left to become a Flight Attendant working for United Airlines and flying out of New York City. After a year she returned to San Diego and flew for Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) on a commuter airlines throughout California. She loved being a Flight Attendant for PSA. It was the 60’s, and she was flying in pink and orange hot pants uniforms.

She left San Diego in 1974 and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado with her brother Larry Gresham (now deceased). There she met John Durrett, her future husband. Larry and John were Assistant Professors at the Air Force Academy, in the Department of Astronautics and Computer Science. They were fishing buddies and close friends.

Leilani and John Durrett were married August 31, 1976 in Colorado Springs. John finished out his 20 years as an Air Force Officer and retired in Los Angeles, California. Leilani and John moved to Littleton, Colorado in 1982 where John went to work for Martin Marietta, an Aerospace company who built satellites and rocket boosters.

Leilani grabbed an opportunity to return to United Airlines as a Flight Attendant with accrued seniority in 1985 as a result of being an automatic member of a class-action lawsuit against United. Leilani flew out of Chicago and Denver, while commuting from Littleton, Colorado. Leilani and John moved to McLean, Virginia in 1991 when John got a chance to support a special program in the Pentagon.

Leilani and John had twenty great years together, flying to vacations in Mexico and to the Caribbean. They skied many winters in Colorado. They even pulled off a getaway to London over a Fourth of July weekend, thanks to Leilani’s flight passes.

The world came crashing down on Leilani when she experienced an accident while working as a Flight Attendant on a United Airlines flight in 1996. She was injured, rupturing 4 discs in her back. Leilani was medically retired by United Airlines later that year. Leilani never recovered from her back injury and suffered the next 22 years as a chronic pain patient. John supported her as a constant companion and caretaker.

She and John moved to Sun Lakes, Arizona in 1998, where they hoped she would find a better climate for her back. She lived in Sun Lakes until she passed away at home on April 18, 2019.