Obituary of George Puskarich

George F. Puskarich, 89, of State College, died Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at the Village at Penn State Atrium, State College. Born June 2, 1924, in Litchfield, IL. he was the son of the late Frank R. and Mary Milcic Puskarich. On January 26, 1968 he married Ruth Friday, who survives. Also surviving are four children, Lynne Ziegler of Moreno, CA., Mark Puskarich and his wife, Ching, of Pembroke, MA., Sandy Hayes of DuPont, WA., and Cynthia Cooke and her husband, Mark, of Manassas, VA.; a step-daughter-in-law, Stephanie LeCouvre, of State College; one brother, Joseph Daniel Puskarich and his wife, Janice, and one sister, Margaret Urbanic, both of Texas; eleven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one step-son, Patrick Joseph LeCouvre and one step-daughter, Dawn Georgette Handy. He was a 1942 graduate of Trinity High School. He attended Mount Union College in 1946. George served in the United States Air Force during World War II, and later retired as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard. He worked for the Federal Aviation Administration as a Flight Inspection Pilot. George was awarded the Congressional Medal of Valor in 1972. He was a member of the Free & Accepted Masons, Elks Lodge Club and the Croatian Fraternity. A celebration of his life will be held at his daughter Cynthia Cooke's home in Manassas, VA on Sunday, September 1, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. A local Celebration of Life service will be held at the Village at Penn State in September. Date and information to follow. Burial will be in Mt. Prospect Cemetery in Hickory, Pennsylvania. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.