John Paleka died June 24, 2026, in Burlington, Wis. He was born July 10, 1934, in Chicago to the late Thomas and Grgica “Gertrude” (Karaban) Paleka. John Paleka’s Early Life He grew up in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood and graduated from Gage Park High School. After attending technical school, he worked as an aircraft mechanic with Capital Airlines and later United Airlines at Midway Airport. He met Sandra Coffey, a Braniff stewardess, and th…
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