A service will be held at noon Saturday, March 22 for Gary Eugene Pfitzner, 59, of Issaquah, who died Tuesday morning, March 18, 2014 in a helicopter crash near the Seattle Center. The service will be at St Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Mt. Park Blvd. S.W., Issaquah.

Pfitzner was born Dec. 22, 1954 to Max and Betty Pfitzner. He worked 35 years for Boeing first as a machinist and then on the composite tape lay down machines, sending him to Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan for his job.

Pfitzner became a helicopter pilot, learning on small helicopters and then becoming a flight instructor.

In 2001 he married Belen Castellano and was joined by her two sons, Christopher and Brandon.

Pfitzner was handy in construction, remodeling his own home on Tiger Mountain and his parents’ kitchen in Renton along with building a house and adding a deck and arbor to their house in the country.

As a helicopter pilot, Pfitzner would give his siblings rides in helicopters and also hover over their homes, which made it look like a news event. One time he gave his nephew to a prom in a helicopter.

He is survived by six siblings: Valerie (Leadon), Greg, Mark (Cindy), Diane (Michael Bautista), Philip and Carol Ann.

He would travel to Spain to visit his wife’s mother and father and her five brothers and their families.

Friends are invited to view photos, get directions and share memories in the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com.