Zyvonne D. Langan

Obituary

Zyvonne Devereau Langan was born on October 13, 1969, in Anaheim, California, the daughter of Dan and Deborah (Proctor) Powell. Zyvonne was baptized in her Christian faith as a young adult in Altus, Oklahoma. She graduated from Navajo High School in Friendship, Oklahoma with the class of 1987 and furthered her education at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1993.

Zyvonne entered military service with the Oklahoma Air National Guard as an airman in 1994. Serving as a Command Post Controller at the Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, she was on duty during the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Achieving the rank of First Lieutenant, she eventually resigned her commission and received an Honorable Discharge in 2002.

At age 24, Zyvonne was employed as the airport manager at Altus Municipal Airport at Altus, Oklahoma, the youngest in the USA at the time. She then became a corporate pilot for Shears Construction in Hutchinson, Kansas, and later a corporate pilot for Luscombe Aircraft in Altus, Okla. Moving to Texas she became a commuter pilot for Austin Express in Austin and then a charter pilot for Berry Aviation in San Marcos. On Sept. 11, 2001, she was in the air flying for her charter company when the FAA ordered a national ground stop and was forced to land in El Paso, Texas.

On July 18, 1998, Zyvonne was united in marriage to David Langan in Altus, Okla. They were blessed with two children, Dylan and Zoe. Zyvonne and David resided in Altus, San Antonio, Texas; Dover, Delaware; Heidelberg, Germany; and Hutchinson, Minnesota.

She was a member of CrossPoint Church in Hutchinson serving in the Awana Ministry and many study groups. She was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Zyvonne is honored by a plaque in the International Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kansas which is a memorial to special men and women involved in aviation. She was nominated by the 99’s, an international organization of licensed women pilots who recognized her achievements and her encouragement to all who love to fly.

Zyvonne loved to engage in Bible Study and athletics. She ran her first marathon in 2009 in Frankfurt, Germany which ultimately led to seven full marathons and several half-marathons and triathlons. It’s been said that “everybody dies, but not everybody lives.” Zyvonne lived! Each day she rose before sunrise and was always eager to share a morning cup of coffee. Her presence would light up a room as she entered with a radiant smile and a sincere “How ya’ doin?” Zyvonne’s relationship with God and growth in Jesus Christ was a daily experience. Blessed be her memory.

Zyvonne passed away on Friday, October 23, 2020, in Hutchinson, Minnesota, at the age of 51 years, from the extremely rare and fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Zyvonne is survived by her:
Husband, David Langan of Hutchinson, MN;
Children, Dylan Langan of Colorado Springs, CO,
Zoe Langan of Hutchinson, MN;
Father, Dan Powell of San Ysidro, NM;
Brother, Daniel Powell of Albuquerque, NM;
Aunt, Michele Ryan of San Ysidro, NM;
Grandmother, Shirley Powell of San Ysidro, NM;
Several other beloved relatives.

Zyvonne is preceded in death by her Mother, Deborah Powell; Grandparents, Mardi and Glenn Holder; Grandfather, William Powell.