Stephen Joseph Coonan, Sr.

The life of Steve Coonan, known as "Sr." to friends and family, was rich in adventure, business and travel. As a child he and his family would travel to many far-off places with his father, Colonel Daniel Coonan, who piloted B-17s in 31 missions of the WWII European Campaign. He would inspire Sr. and his brother Dan to follow in his military footsteps.

After graduating from U.C. Riverside, Steve would enlist into the USAF as an F-4 navigator behind his dear friend Mike "Mad Dog" Doyle. While stationed in Thailand, they strategically supported Army and Marine ground forces in the Vietnam War. He earned his call sign "Combat Coonan" after a one-punch fist fight with another pilot with loose lips. After retiring from the Air Force Steve went on to serve in the Hawaiian Air National Guard where he continued to fly Phantoms. He would say he was "waiting for the Russians to attack." He had a passion for the Aloha Spirit and the Hawaiian Islands, where he could be found golfing and sailing.

His many business endeavors began in Hawaii where he owned Hawaii LandAir and Coonan Air, two small inter-island air freight couriers. He would eventually move back to California where his business pursuits diversified. As drug testing became critical in the US, Steve created what was then one of the largest drug testing consortiums in America. Gaining Congressional approval, his company Coonan Clinical was instrumental in research for HIV and developed the first in-home HIV test kit. After selling the company to Johnson and Johnson he continued his entrepreneurial spirit and would build, own and operate the Irvine Ice Arena.

Later in life, he circled back to his biggest passion, flying. First, he trained commercial pilots as a certified flight instructor for Flight Safety in Tucson. This eventually led to Steve's commercial piloting of Challenger 600s and Lear 60 business jets. Some of the notable owners that he piloted were Jenny Craig and various upper management of the Phoenix Suns. This work allowed him to explore even more countries in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Concurrently, he founded Planesworth.com where he performed many aircraft appraisals for high-net-worth individuals and corporations.

After retiring from flying, he would move to Sun City West in Buckeye, Arizona, with his girlfriend Cindy Palmer. There they enjoyed all the activities and social life offered in the desert that he loved. He is survived by his son Stephen Joseph Coonan, Jr., and his daughter Suzanne Rauch. He loved his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.