San Marcos, TX – Calyn Collie remembers her sister Devyn Reiley as a dedicated pilot and an even more devoted family member.
“She made a huge impact,” Collie said. “Just hearing little stories and things, I think, is just a huge testament to how people felt about her right as they met her.”
Reiley, 30, was one of two people from New Braunfels who died after a plane crashed into Lake Winnebago, near Oshkosh, in Wisconsin on July 29. The other victim was identified as Zachary Collie-Moreno, 20. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating what caused the crash.
Family and friends of Reiley held a celebration of life on Saturday morning at the Commemorative Air Force in San Marcos. Collie said the hangar was a special place to Reiley, and it felt right to honor her memory there.
“It’s always just been a huge part of her life,” Reiley said.
Deena Clausen, the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing leader, said Reiley was an active leader in the South Central Texas aviation community.
“She was an amazing spirit,” Clausen said. “She was always wanting to help other young pilots and other young folk.”
Clausen said Reiley was one of the first female pilots in the wing’s history and a fierce advocate for female pilots.
“She was a beautiful young woman inside and out and there is no other way to say it,” Clausen said. “If she wasn’t flying in them, she was working on them or playing in them.”
Reiley last lived in New Braunfels with her husband Hunter and was the oldest of 13 siblings in the Collie family. To honor her memory, friends and family are setting up a scholarship. Her family is also holding another celebration of life on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church Harlingen.
The family of Collie-Moreno also has a private memorial set on Saturday, Aug. 12, for family and friends. The Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing is going to establish the Zachary James Collie Moreno Memorial Warbird Restoration Scholarship in his honor.