Known to horror fans for playing Stephen ‘Flyboy’ Andrews in George A. Romero’s horror classic Dawn of the Dead, actor David Michael Emge has passed away at the age of 77. Emge passed on Saturday, January 20 at the West River Health Campus in Evansville, Indiana.

David Emge’s ‘Flyboy’ was one of the main characters in Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, the pilot for the WGON-TV station who ends up trapped in a mall during the zombie apocalypse. ‘Flyboy’ eventually becomes a zombie himself later in the movie, and Emge’s performance ensured that ‘Flyboy Zombie’ has endured as one of the most iconic movie zombies of all time.

David Emge made a few more stops in the horror genre in the wake of 1978’s Dawn, also appearing in the horror movies Basket Case 2 (1990) and Hellmaster (1992).

The actor’s memorial page at the Pierre Funeral Home notes, “David was born September 9, 1946 in Evansville to the late Richard Andrew and Gertrude Mary (Wipf) Emge. He was a member of the Boy Scout Troop at Sacred Heart and a proud Eagle Scout. David studied drama at the University of Evansville and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending U of E, David was drafted into the United States Army and served during the Vietnam War. David began his acting career on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971 and made his film debut in the lowbrow comedy The Booby Hatch. He briefly lived in Washington, D.C., where he performed in dinner theatre. In 1976, he moved to New York City. He was working as a chef in New York when he was cast as the helicopter pilot in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead.”

David Emge is survived by three sisters, Sue (Bob) Berry, Kathleen (Bob) Wittgen and Barbara (Allen) Rexing and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

You can pay tribute to David Emge through the Pierre Funeral Home website, where you can share memories, post photos, and send flowers and gifts to the family.

‘Dawn of the Dead’