Carruthers, Warren of the Orlando Lutheran Towers, passed away on August 17, 2016. He was 95 years old. Warren, the son of Ralph and Mabel Carruthers, was born on 25 October 1920 on a farm near Neoga, Illinois. His first eight years of schooling were in a one-room-schoolhouse. By the time he graduated from high school Warren knew that farming was not "in his best interest." Mother had been saving her "egg money" over the past years and this was used to enroll Warren in a business school where he perused extensive training on a stenotype with the goal of becoming a court reporter. He met the qualifications for court reporting but a job offer enticed employment with The Ohio Oil Company (MARATHON) in 1939, then to Civil Service in the Flight Surgeons Office at Scott Field Illinois in 1940. It was here, and following Pearl Harbor, that Warren enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program. He was called for flight training in March of 1943 and upon receiving his "Wings" in February, 1944 went home, got the 41 Ford off the concrete blocks and returned to Ellington Field at Houston, Texas to what he was sure would be overseas orders. Hondo, Texas was not exactly overseas but it was here that Warren discovered his love for flying by logging 120 hours a month, in furthering cadets in their navigation training. Warren was fortunate in being selected as a Staff Pilot for the Flying Division of the Air Training Command at Randolph Field,, Texas where he flew a variety of aircraft and again logged in many flying hours. It was also in "Dear Ole San Antone" that he met an aerial hitchhiker, a pert young Army 2nd Lieutenant, Mary Ellen Hoy. As so often happens in the military Mary Ellen transferred to the Air Force for Flight Nurse Training at Randolph and Warren was transferred from Randolph to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois. Mary Ellen flew many tiring, but rewarding, "airevac" flights over the Pacific during the Korean conflict attending to the medical needs of returning wounded military personnel. They managed to stay in contact, via many plane flights between Illinois and California, and were married on May 15, 1951 at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, California. Warren had a couple tours to Korea, the first in Troop Carrier during that conflict, many overseas flights while in the Military Airlift Command (formerly known as the Military Air Transport Service) plus several stateside assignments but their most enjoyable was the one to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. Upon completing a three year tour on "Oki," Warren got that "inevitable assignment," a one year tour to Viet Nam. Mary Ellen was allowed to stay on Okinawa while he was in Viet Nam so he picked her up on rotation back to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina in 1970. Warren was most proud of having amassed a total of 14,000 accident free flying hours in his 30 years of Air Force duty in the Air Training Command, Military Airlift Command and the Strategic Air Command. He readily admits that total includes quite a few "puckers." They retired at Charleston Air Force Base in January of 1973, joined Air Force friends, Jim and Nita Davis, by building their retirement home in Rio Pinar Estates and enjoyed 30 years of golfing, a new venture for Warren. They both worked as volunteers at several golfing tournaments and Warren thoroughly enjoyed his 15 years as Hole Captain on Magnolia 18 during the Disney Tournaments. The "wear and tear" associated with aging and Mary Ellen's health problems prompted them to leave Rio and join a wonderful group of both retirees and staff at the Orlando Lutheran Towers in May of 2004. Mary Ellen preceded warren in death on 12 October 2010. Warren is survived by Mary Ellen's nieces and nephews a d his cousins from Illinois. A memorial service for Warren was held in the Chapel at the Lutheran Towers. Warren is laid to rest in Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL. In lieu of flowers please send donations to Orlando Lutheran Towers Foundation, 300 East Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801 or to . Arrangements handled by Carey Hand Cox-Parker Funeral Home