Ordinary People: Steve Greenhaw still weathering the airline storm
Staff writer
With the ups and downs of the airline industry, Steve Greenhaw has learned to have faith in God in a way he had not realized as he reflects on these past years.
Born in McPherson and raised in Canton, Steve graduated from Canton High School in 1967.
"It was in our freshmen year that we moved into the new high school building," Steve said. In my senior year they started to integrate the Canton and Galva schools."
The family lived in town where his dad, Don, was the local pharmacist, having purchased the Canton pharmacy in 1952.
During the summer months, Steve worked on the farm with his grandfather and uncle.
"One summer I went custom wheat harvesting with Norman Adrien of Buhler," Steve said.
In 1969, while Steve was in college, his parents moved to Hillsboro and Don became the local pharmacist.
"I didn't spend much time in Hillsboro while I was in college," Steve said. "And I really didn't know many people my age, just friends of my parents."
While attending Kansas State University, Steve joined ROTC. He attended ROTC summer camps where as a junior he went through rigorous physical and flight training to see if he was pilot material.
"When I was 14 years old driving the tractor helping out my uncle and grandpa on the farm, I would look up and see the planes fly by and I knew then that I wanted to become a pilot," reminisced Steve.
During his years at K-State studying computer science, he met his future wife, Lou Spinks. The couple were married Aug. 21, 1971.
Steve received his officer's commission as a second lieutenant in December 1971 and joined the Air Force in February 1972. He endured an 11-month intensive pilot training on three types of airplanes, jets, and fighter planes in Columbus, Miss., and graduated in December 1972.
He later went through a three-month pilot training in water, land, and POW survival courses. He also received advanced training on the big cargo plane, the C-141 Starlifter.
Steve served four years as a military pilot at McCord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Wash. He flew to countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and several European countries.
"I flew over Israel during the Yom Kippur War," Steve said. "That was interesting."
After leaving the military in 1976, Steve began working for Braniff Airlines. He received his flight engineer license to fly on the B-727.
The family lived in Kansas City in the Overland Park area during that time for three years before moving to Weston, Mo. in 1979.
Lou graduated from the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Pharmacy and worked part-time as a relief pharmacist, helping out where needed.
On May 12, 1982, Braniff went bankrupt. Steve went to work as a computer programmer for AT&T out of Kansas City where he worked for three and half years.
In 1986, Steve was called back to work as a pilot again for Braniff, but on Sept. 27, 1989, the company again went bankrupt.
"We were both out of work now, and my dad was looking for someone to buy the pharmacy," Steve said.
"I had witnessed what losing a paycheck did to some people," Steve said. "Some of them committed suicide, some had to declare personal bankruptcy, and others got divorced."
Steve said their faith in God helped stabilize things. Two key verses helped him during those difficult times, Romans 8:28 and Matthew 6:33.
Steve recalled when he went home to tell Lou about the first bankruptcy, she told him of a job she had gotten that hour at the men's penitentiary in Leavenworth.
According to Steve, at that time officials did not want a female pharmacist on the grounds dispensing medicine.
Reflecting on those difficult times, Steve said, "I didn't give God proper credit at the time: It would have been nice to give Him credit back then."
"God had and has been faithful to us; I wish I was as faithful to Him," he said.
In 1990, the couple moved to Hillsboro where Lou bought the pharmacy from her father-in-law, and Steve began working for Ryan Airlines as a pilot. He transported cargo to various places in the U.S., carrying large cargo items such as car parts, assembly parts, engines, and horses.
In 1995, Steve was offered a pilot's position and began working for United Airlines.
"I was tired of flying all night and the benefits at United were much better," he said.
Steve continues to work for United Airlines, but things are not looking good for the airline he said.
Pilots already have taken a 30 percent cut in pay and some have taken larger cuts by moving from captain to co-pilot in order to stay employed with United.
The family has become members of Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church.
Earlier, Steve completed 10 hours of biblical training through correspondence at Western Seminary in Portland, Ore.
He has been asked to speak at Parkview four times, serves as an elder, and is a Sunday school teacher. He currently is on the pastoral-relations committee and is involved in searching for a new senior pastor and a new youth pastor.
He officiates memorial services when called upon at HCMC Long Term Care Unit.
Steve currently serves as treasurer and board member at Main Street Ministries.
He also serves as a financial counselor, especially to newly married couples, at Parkview. He works through the Larry Burkett financial counseling services under Crown Ministries and travels to Wichita through the nationwide network program to help people get out of debt.
When he has spare time, Steve enjoys running, playing golf, and gardening.
Steve and Lou have two sons, Cameron and his wife Kristy, who live in Tampa, Fla., and operate a starter church there; and Carson, who is a junior at Tabor College.
Steve plans to stay with United Airlines, as long as he can. The federally mandated retirement age for pilots is 60, which will be in five years for Steve.
He and Lou plan to retire in several years and settle in Lynden, Wash.
