Jack McHale was a beloved member of the Orbis community for more than 30 years. After a couple of decades working in aircraft acquisitions at McDonnell Douglas, McHale took on dual positions in the late ‘80s at both Orbis and FedEx until retiring from the latter in 2008. At that point, he formally joined Orbis in a volunteer position as Director of Aviation Affairs.
In that role, McHale’s responsibilities included oversight of the maintenance and operations of the second-generation Flying Eye Hospital, a DC-10 aircraft. He played a vital role in Orbis’s acquisition of the plane and also helped to secure free maintenance and parts that were critical for Orbis to carry out our training projects in areas with the greatest need around the world.
He was also instrumental in cultivating our relationship with FedEx, a supporter of Orbis for more than three decades, and in driving the acquisition and conversion of an MD-10 aircraft, donated by FedEx, into our third-generation Flying Eye Hospital.
“Jack was a vibrant member of the aviation community within Orbis, and many would even consider him the father of the MD-10 project that has allowed us to take sight-saving training and care to dozens of countries on board what was once a cargo aircraft,” said Bruce Johnson, Director of Aircraft Operations and Maintenance at Orbis. “Beyond his contributions, he was a dear friend to so many of us, and he will be very missed.”
In 2009, McHale stepped in as interim President and CEO of Orbis, a position he held until 2011, when he retired and joined the Orbis International Board of Directors. In 2014, he was appointed emeritus.
We are so thankful for his invaluable support of Orbis and tremendous dedication to changing the way the world sees.
