ELLIE BASTAR
1948 - 1986
FLIGHT ATTENDANT, CHIEF FLIGHT ATTENDANT, CREW SCHEDULER
PHX SLC BIL DEN


Ellie Bastar was hit and killed by a car in 1987 approximately, but I don't have the exact date of death.  
She was jogging and found days later with the bastard who hit her going scott free.
She was a stewardess and later became a crew scheduler.
-Billy Walker
(4/22/99)

January 27, 1949,    Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Challenger Airlines Co.
Quote:  From CAB Resume’ of U. S. Air Carrier Accidents,  Calendar year 1949.
A landing was made which was normal except for being slightly faster than usual. 
As brakes were applied they locked in sliding over a small snow covered area and 
upon reaching the dry concrete, the plane nosed up.
The Wyoming State Tribune, Cheyenne, WY.  Friday, January 28, 1949, reported the Incident.  
Challenger Airlines flight No. 1.
Propellors of the plane were bent when they nicked the ground. 
Crew;  Captain Bob Nicholson, Co-Pilot Jack Schade, Stewardess, Eleanor Bastar.
-Ken Shultz
(8/14/99)

In the Obits Ellie was listed as deceased and "need information".  
Here is what I know she was a Pilot Crew Scheduler. 
She was hit by a car while out jogging on Chambers.  
I know it was in the paper out there, but I was not able to substantiate online.
-Robin Akens
Former Flight Attendant Scheduling Supervisor.
(4/28/02)

Thanks, Robin.
I had heard the same thing about Ellie but have been unable to pin down dates, etc.
-Jake Lamkins
(4/28/02)

Harold Akens is my husband and he worked with Ellie.  
He said the accident happened the Saturday after the initial shutdown in August.  
I think you had the date in October.  Oh well - if I happen onto the article I will forward.
-Robin Akers
(4/28/02)

Thanks for the additional info.
That's the first time I've been able to pin down the exact date.
FL closed down on Sunday, August 24 so the following Saturday,
when Ellie died, would have been Aug 30, 1986.
Ask Harold if that jibes with his recollection?
Do either of you know her background such as birthday,
years she was a flight attendant, period she was with FL, etc.?
I have hardly anything and she deserves more.
The Social Security Death Index does not have her in it.
Is it possible she could be under a different name than Bastar?
There are only 29 Bastars in the SSDI - none died in 1986.
Thanks for your help,
-Jake Lamkins
(4/29/02)

Pilot Jack Schade sent a photo of the first Challenger Airlines stewardess class in 1948.
Ellie Bastar is in the photograph so her flying career started in 1948.
Jack mentions that Challenger was the first of FL's predecessor airlines to have stewardesses.
-Jake Lamkins
(5/27/04)

Got a call from Darlene Spieler yesterday after she got the FAL newsletter. 
She said Ellie Bastar was killed on Oct. 14, 1987. You have the wrong date in the issue. 
She was pretty tight with Ellie and knew her parents as well. 
She has a photo of Ellie's headstone in the cemetery in Colorado and the above date is what is correct.
-Dee Martenson
(4/17/05)

Since I have conflicting info, I'll go with the Oct 87 date from Billy and Dee/Darlene since Darlene has photo of tombstone.
-Jake Lamkins
(4/17/05)

On Ellie Bastar you have: Ellie Bastar, 10/14/87, hit & run accident.
Do you have the text of the initial Rocky Mountain News piece announcing
the hit-and-run death of the (then) unidentified person who turned out to
be Ellie?  If not (I don't see it on your site), would you like for me to send it to you?
-Mark Ingram
(8/10/06)

The following apparently appeared in the Rocky Mountain News on Friday, October 14, 1987:
Pedestrian killed on Aurora Street
  Aurora police are trying to identify a woman who was struck and killed yesterday
after walking into the side of a moving automobile at East
Eighth Avenue and Chambers Road.
  The woman, who was walking southbound on Chambers at 5:30 p.m., was
looking away from the traffic when she walked into a vehicle that was turning
from eastbound Eighth onto northbound Chambers, said Lt. Mick DeSantis.
  The woman was airlifted to Denver General Hospital where she died.
  She is described as white, about 50 years old, 5-feet-6, weighing about 130 pounds,
with light brown hair and blue eyes.  
She was wearing a multi-colored striped sweater, blue slacks, a tan corduroy
sports jacket and tan shoes, DeSantis said.
-----------------------
Note that there is no mention of it being hit-and-run.  
She was said to be employed by UAL as a flight scheduler.
-Mark Ingram
(8/10/06)

There are 33 Bastars in the SSDI.
None of them match Ellie.
-Jake Lamkins
(8/10/06)

E C  BASTAR
Crew scheduler seniority date of 10/1/65, emp# 00832, on the 1/1/86 FL/ALEA seniority list.
E.C. Bastar  (deceased) on the ESOP lost list.
An extensive web search found no more info on Ellie.
-Jake Lamkins
(3/10/08)

In the Gone West, you needed more info on Ellie Bastar - she was born Jun 17, 1924 & was killed Oct 14, 1987.
(Enclosed a photo of Ellie's grave.)
-Darlene Spieler
(11/13/09)