Warren "Gus" E Cruikshank

Warren Edward Cruikshank, lovingly known as Gus, passed away on December 27, 2025 at the Ambassador in Nebraska City.

Gus was born October 14, 1939 in Nebraska City, NE to George and Tressie (Woods) Cruikshank. He grew up and attended school in Nebraska City, graduating from Nebraska City High School with the class of 1958. Gus joined the United States Marines after a recruiter came to his high school his senior year. He entered the Marines in August of 1958, completing his basic training in San Diego in November 1958 and from there attended aviation familiarization school in Jacksonville, FL. Gus attended aviation hydraulics school in Memphis, TN until June of 1959, where he frequented the roller-skating rinks and movie theaters “because he was too young to go to the bars and what else was there to do in Memphis?"

Gus joined the first squadron in Cherry Point, NC in June of 1959 and from there continued working on hydraulics on the F8U and F3D aircraft’s in Japan and California from 1960 to 1966. In February 1966, he was transferred to the Air Facility in Vietnam to work heavy maintenance on helicopters. He continued working on helicopters until his retirement in 1978, bouncing from Santa Ana, CA to Kane’ohe Bay, HI. to Okinawa, Japan, and finally to the Marine Corps Reserve base in Pennsylvania. Gus finally retired from the Marine Corps in 1978, after 20 years of service and would go on to be a civilian aircraft mechanic for Eastern and American Airlines until an injury from a fall from an aircraft forced him to retire.

Gus was preceded in death by his parents George and Tressie, brothers George Jr., Dean and Tom and niece Ardith Cruikshank.

Gus is survived by his sisters; Tressie Ward of Lexington, KY, Lois Christiano of Scottsdale, AZ and nieces and nephews; Joe McLaughlin, Devy Snyder, Kathy Cruikshank, Phil Cruikshank, Cristy Fox, Cindy Breeze, Kirk and Don Christiano.

Services will be held at the Omaha Veterans Cemetery in May of 2026.

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