Terrells; Former Valley Residents
A couple who lived in Woodland Hills for 23 years were killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in New Zealand, where they were vacationing.
Richmond Britton Terrell, 67, and Chanetta Perdue Terrell, 65, had arrived in New Zealand the day before for a weeklong stay, said their son, Rick Terrell of Mammoth Lakes.
Two other American tourists and the pilot also died in the crash alongside Lake Manapouri in Fiordland.
The Terrells loved to entertain and traveled widely, said Trish Baker, a family friend who lives in Woodland Hills. In 1987 the Terrells sold their San Fernando Valley home and moved to Danville in Northern California.
Chanetta Terrell, who grew up in Pine Bluff, Ark., was a graduate of the University of Arkansas and an active member of the Chi Omega sorority’s alumni association, Baker said. Her husband, a Cairo, Ill., native, retired three years ago after a long career as an aerospace engineer and then a vice president at Litton Industries. For years the couple attended Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Woodland Hills.
“They were the most incredible people I knew,” Rick Terrell said. “They were very social, very involved with their church. They were very involved with everyone they touched.”
The couple are survived by three sons and five grandchildren.
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