Jonathan David D'Attilio

Jonathan D'Attilio, 20, passed away on Dec. 27, 2005, from injuries sustained in a helicopter firefighting mission accident on Kauai, Hawaii on Dec. 25., 2005.

Jonathan was honored in a memorial service on Kauai on Dec. 30, 2005, by both the Kauai fire and police departments for his brave and unselfish dedication in flying this mission to save lives and property at Sun Village, an elderly retirement complex, from wildfire.

Jonathan was the president of Inter-Island Helicopters of Hanapepe, Kauai when he died. He was born in Ashville, N.C., on May 24, 1985, and resided with his family on Kauai from 1986-1994, when he moved to Pennington, N.J., and attended Hopewell Valley High School.

Jonathan moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 2002, graduated from Sandpoint High School in 2003.

A natural born pilot, he obtained his pilot license while attending high school.

He graduated Spokane Community College as a certified airframe and power plant mechanic in June 2005 and obtained his helicopter pilot rating during the summer of 2004 in Hillsboro, Ore.

He was a pilot/mechanic for the family's helicopter business in Sandpoint, Oklahoma City, Okla., Phoenix, and Kauai, Hawaii, and became president of Inter-Island Helicopters in 2005.

Jonathan was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed waterfowl and big game hunting, long range shooting, bow hunting, as well as being an expert fly fisherman, having accomplished the Arkansas Grand Slam of trout on several occasions.

Jonathan's passion for flying brought him back to Kauai where he took over the family business after the death of his mother, Ann Marie Eleuteri D'Attilio on Nov. 15, 2005.

He is survived by his father, Ken D'Attilio; and four brothers: Joel, Jeremiah, Joseph and Justin of Sandpoint; his grandparents, Ralph and Dorothy D'Attilio; and uncle, Ralph D'Attilio of Jay, Fla.; his maternal grandmother, Muffie Eleuteri of Bordentown, N.J,; his uncle and aunt, Ron and Maryann Eleuteri; and cousins, Christopher, Daniel and Lauren of Ewing, N.J., and Betsy and Phil Johnson of Bedminster, N.J.

A memorial service will be held on Jan. 7, 2006, at 1 p.m., at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, located at the southeast corner of Highway 2 and Rocky Point Road, in Dover, Idaho.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Jonathan David D'Attilio Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 320 Fourth Ave., Sandpoint, ID 83813.