Ada Eagar Gelling

Ada Eagar Gelling, a remarkable Arizona woman whose life reflected grit, ingenuity, faith, service, and quiet historical significance, passed away on 29 March 2026, in Peoria, Arizona. She was 100 years old. Born on July 14, 1925, in her parents’ home in St. Johns, Arizona, Ada lived a life that spanned a century of extraordinary change and left a legacy of resilience, devotion, and accomplishment.

Ada was raised in a family deeply rooted in the settlement and civic history of Arizona. Her paternal family helped settle the Little Colorado River area that would later become the Town of Eagar, Arizona. Her maternal family also played an important role in the early development of the region. Her aunt, Rachael Berry was Arizona’s first woman legislator, and co-designed the Arizona Flag with Arizona First Lady, Nan Hayden. Raised in St. Johns, she grew up among families whose names would become prominent in Arizona history. These early influences helped shape the values that defined her life: hard work, humility, patriotism, faith, and perseverance.

During World War II, Ada answered the call of her generation and entered the defense workforce as one of America’s “Rosie the Riveters.” She began her career at Consolidated Vultee in Tucson, Arizona, where she learned to rivet on B-24 aircraft. She later worked in California riveting military tanks before returning to Arizona to join Goodyear Aircraft. There, she first worked in the Balloon Room applying sealant to the seams of blimps. Once her riveting skills became known, she moved into additional aircraft production work, contributing to military aviation manufacturing during one of the most critical times in American history.

After the war, Ada continued a career that would place her at the center of some of America’s most important aerospace achievements. She joined Sperry Flight Systems, where she became the 389th person hired in Quality Control and only the fourth woman in that division. Over the course of a distinguished career in quality assurance, Ada inspected and helped ensure the reliability of flight systems, servos, accelerometers, wiring harnesses, indicators, and gyroscopes used in both aviation and space technologies.

Her work contributed to several of America’s space missions, including the Apollo program. Among the many systems she helped inspect were components associated with the historic first moonwalk, including equipment related to the backpacks used by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. She later met astronauts including Fred Haise of Apollo 13 and Ron Evans of Apollo 17. In later years, her work extended to gyroscopes and systems associated with the Space Shuttle, F-16 aircraft, B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and AH-64 Apache helicopters. She retired in 1987 after 29 years in quality assurance, leaving behind a career that quietly touched the lives of millions through contributions to national defense, aerospace innovation, and space exploration.

Ada’s life was also marked by love, endurance, and devotion to family. Ada was the oldest living of four siblings: Mary, Irma, Bill, and Ed. She married Peter Wallace of Phoenix, Arizona, in 1949; he passed away in 1951. She later married William “Bill” James Gelling of St. Louis, Missouri, in Las Vegas in 1966; he preceded her in death in February 1990.

She is survived by her daughter Ella Sue Higgins, born on June 10, 1946, the daughter of Everett Eugene Higgins of Memphis, Tennessee. As the last surviving sibling, Ada was the youngest of five children and was preceded in death by her beloved brothers and sisters: Mary, Irma, Bill and Ed. She is survived by 5 grandchildren Elizabeth, Christine (Pat), David (Marilyn), Michael (Angela), and Jonathan (Jen); 17 great-grandchildren (Devon, Chelsea, Rakia, Caleb, Jade, Dillon, Paige, Tianna, Bronson, Bailey, London, Riley, Reese, Kyleigh, Kaisa, Camden, Malerie; and 16 great-great-grandchildren, along with many extended family members and loved ones who were blessed by her strength, steadiness, and love.

Ada’s faith was central to her life. A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served as an organist and choir director for more than 60 years and also served as an ordinance worker in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Her faith was not merely something she professed, but something she lived every day through service, dedication, and quiet example.

Ada found joy in the simple and meaningful pleasures of life. She loved attending the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP), going to lunch with her former colleagues from Sperry Aerospace, and walking several miles every day well into her 90s. She especially loved her dogs—Tippy, Nipper, Bo, and Kahlua—who were faithful (furry) companions throughout the years.

Ada’s life stands as a tribute to the pioneer heritage of Arizona, the women who served on the home front during World War II, and those whose quiet excellence changed history without seeking recognition. She represented a generation of women whose contributions were often understated, yet whose labor, courage, and determination helped shape their communities and their country. She will be remembered as a woman of deep faith, remarkable endurance, uncommon capability, and lasting influence. Her memory will live on in the family she loved, the lives she shaped, and the history she helped make.

Private services in Phoenix on 24 April. If you would like to send condolences, provide support to the family, or attend, please text or call David at 928.220.2611