FUNERAL SERVICES FOR

John Willis Stark 
Age - 75 
9/3/1929 - 8/11/2005 

Funeral Service 
10:30 AM – Monday, August 15, 2005
United Methodist Church
Seward, Nebraska

VISITATION 
10:30 AM, Monday, August 15, 2005
Seward United Methodist Church
Rev. Eric Ford
Full Military Honors at the Memorial Service

INTERMENT 
11:00 AM – Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Fort McPherson National Cemetery - Maxwell, Nebraska
Officiating – Norval Holtmeier

MEMORIALS
Memorials to the family to be designated later         

John Willis Stark was born September 3, 1929 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Paul H. and Veea L. (Umber) Stark, the youngest of three children. 
John passed away on August 11, 2005 in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 75 years, 11 months, 8 days.

He attended Oklahoma A & M College, now Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, 
graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Husbandry in 1951. 
While in college he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity, Alpha Zeta Honorary Fraternity and the Block and Bridle Club. 
He was a member of ROTC and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant (U.S.A.R.) in May 1951. 
John was designated a Distinguished Military Student and received the commission of 2nd Lieutenant 
in the U.S. Army in June of 1951 and served on active duty until August, 1956. 
He served in combat in Korea with the 223rd Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division in 1952 and 1953. 
In 1954 and 1955, he attended U.S. Army Aviation Flight Training. 
After serving the Army for 17 years, he retired with the rank of Major. 
John was employed by Trans-World Airlines as a pilot, based at LaGuardia Airport in New York City.

In 1958, he began employment with Frontier Airlines of Denver, where he was Captain of the DC3. 
He was later reassigned to Captain of the Convair 580, which he holds the record of the most flight hours for a pilot. 
He upgraded to Captain of the Boeing 737, from which he retired in 1984, remaining as a member of the Airline Pilots Association to the present time.
On November 30, 1974, he married Eleanor “Ellie” Wurst MacKenzie, at the Salem Methodist Church, Seward County, Nebraska. 
They resided on 310 acres in eastern Muskogee County, Oklahoma until moving to Seward in 1994. 
While living in Oklahoma he served as President of the Muskogee County Cattlemen’s Association and also served on the Webbers Falls School Board. 
He was a member of the Seward United Methodist Church, a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association, 
a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 4755 – Seward, a member of American Legion Post 19 – York, 
Oliver Lodge No. 38 A.F. & A.M. – Seward, Order of Eastern Star No. 199 – Utica, Seward Kiwanis Club and Seward Kitones and sang with Relative Harmony.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Veea Stark; 
his sister and brother-in-law, Ruth and Bob Domin; brother, Paul Stark, Jr.; sister-in-law, Marion Keller.
John is survived by his wife, Eleanor Stark, Seward, children and spouses, Jerry and Donna Stark, Hidden Valley Lake, California, 
James Stark, Nancye and Ricky Calkins, all of Kansas City, Missouri, Ric and Cheryl MacKenzie, Sidney, Scott and Gayle MacKenzie, North Platte, 
Kris and Morey Bayne, Hershey; 14 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren; 
brothers-in-law and spouses, Neil and Donna Wurst, Milford, Phil and Sally Wurst and Russell Keller, Seward; nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends. 

To this obituary we add our thoughts, prayers and memories of life shared with John. 
Zabka Funeral Home 
-http://www.zabkafuneralhome.com/viewListing.asp?listId=212
(7/23/08)
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