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- Jack Carl Voelker, 83, of Burlington, IA, died at 6:58 p.m. Sunday, May 11, 2008, at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington.
Born June 13, 1924, in Burlington, he was the son of Carl Edward and Edna C. Robbins Voelker. He married Geraldine Wunnenberg in 1950; they divorced in 1975. He married Marjorie Gahn, January 2, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For those who knew Jack, his lifelong passions were his love of life, his family, flying, the Mississippi River and the town of Burlington.
Following graduation from Burlington High School in 1942, Jack enlisted in the Army Air Force and completed flight training in Texas and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1943. He completed advanced single-engine training in 1944. His initial training was as a fighter pilot and was assigned duties flying Bell P-39s. He was shortly reassigned duties as a flight instructor at Waco AAF, Texas. We continued to instruct new cadets until late 1944 when he was reassigned to multi-engine training. Following this he checked out as an aircraft commander in the Consolidated B-24 and was assigned duty with the 380th Bomb Group (heavy) - 531st Squadron. He flew bomb missions from Okinawa, targeting Japan. Following the surrender, he remained in Japan for several months flying as a courier pilot.
Jack remained in the Air Force reserve and was recalled to active duty in late 1950. He was stationed at March AFB, California and Lake Charles AFB, Louisiana. In 1952 he volunteered for service in Korea. He became a Forward Air Controller with the 6147th Tactical Control Group. Following Korea he was stationed at Mather AFB, California, Otis AFB, Massachusetts, Chanute AFB, Illinois, Evreux AFB, France and Lowry AFB, Colorado. He retired from the Air Force on March 1, 1968. His total time in service was 25 1/2 years (20 1/2 years active) and he retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel.
Following retirement from the Air Force, Jack returned to Burlington and worked for Remmers-Tomkins flight service as an instructor and charter pilot. In 1969 he set up the flight department for Winegard Antenna Company and remained as chief pilot until his retirement in 1988.
His return to Burlington afforded him the opportunity to enjoy his boyhood love, the Mississippi River. He owned a number of boats. He loved taking people out on the river and telling them about the river, its history and how it had changed since his boyhood.
After approximately 44 years of flying he had accumulated more than 25,000 hours of flight time and had flown over a hundred different types of aircraft (military and civilian). He completed over 110 combat missions. His decorations include; the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Air Force and Army Commendation Medal, and numerous other medals, ribbons and citations.
Survivors include his wife, Marjorie of Burlington; one daughter, Christine Tipin (Curtin) of Boise, ID.; one son, Craig Voelker (Kerry) of Mt. Pleasant, IA.; two stepdaughters, Karen Glasgow (Terry) of Burlington, and Kristine Niehause (Steve) of Peachtree City, GA.; three stepsons, Kyle Gahn of Burlington, Craig Gahn of Cantril, IA, and David Gahn (Susan) of Minneapolis, MN; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Donna Lavine and Marion MacDonald both of Burlington and three nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant sister.
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1924 - 2008 (83 years)
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