James J. Palko's Obituary
James Joseph Palko was born May 3rd 1928 and passed away on September 7th 2013. He grew up in Pottsville, PA along with his siblings, Margaret, Mickey, John and Shirley. He had a simple life with his family; they didn’t have a lot of luxuries. Once for Christmas his gift was oranges in his stocking, but he was a happy and adventurous boy. My Dad would share memories of his childhood all through my childhood; hanging out with his best friends, Jimmy Florida and Joe McGuire, building go-carts, sneaking into the movies and swimming at the local quarry. Dad’s favorite thing to do was train hopping to Philly. My sister and I would always ask, “Didn’t you get into trouble?” His response would always be “Oh no. No-one ever knew!”
A son of a coal miner whose family migrated from Czechoslovakia and a mother whose family also originated from Czechoslovakia; my Dad would remember how she would make Blinis (Czech potato pancake), he would always say, “Those Blinis were eaten up faster than she could put them on our plates!”
In Junior High he became a champion gymnast, giving him a lifelong love for the sport. One of his proudest memories was being inducted into Pottsville High’s Hall of Fame for both football and gymnastics.
During the 1950’s he was drafted into the Korean War and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. He was able to see sights he always dreamed about. One of his favorite pictures was of him standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris with his Army beret. Later in life, he relived some of those memories by returning to Heidelberg with his wife. In particular visiting a local pub called The Red Ox Inn, where he had gone with his Army buddies while in the service.
After the war he attended Penn State on the G.I. Bill. Even as an older student he persevered and received a Business Degree; a true example of his tenacity and intelligence. This began the “Palko Legacy” at Penn State, where nieces, nephews and great nephews have all graduated.
His life journey continued when he moved to Ohio where he worked at U.S. Steel for almost 30 years. During this time he met the love of his life at church, Verna Lee Wilson (both Pennsylvania natives). They were married at Mt. Chateau with close family and friends.
They settled and made a life for their two daughters, Barbara and Carol, in Amherst, Ohio. There he began another adventure with his own family; memories of making snowmen, taking family vacations to the shore and returning to share his Pottsville home. He also loved taking my Mom back to her hometown, Hope Hollow PA, where her family became his family.
My Dad was there for all the ‘firsts’. My first bee sting where I would only let him get the stinger out of my foot - there was a trust! The day Barbara left for Kindergarten and he watched her get on the bus.
After his girls graduated from college he and my Mom began another chapter in their lives; he moved here to California to be close to her family while letting go of his homestead (an unselfish act).
As in all families there are times of heartache, but my Dad showed his strength, loyalty and forgiveness and rose to all occasions. This was especially true when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dad enjoyed his volunteer work at St. Bernardine’s Hospital in San Bernardino and the V.A. Hospital in Loma Linda. His favorite interests were watching old movies of Gene Autry, watching The Cleveland Browns and The Nittany Lions. He also had a love of history and enjoyed documentaries and of course Lawrence Welk. All in all he always told me, “It’s been a good life.”
I feel his best memories were; his wedding day, vacations to Chincoteague, VA, (home of the wild ponies), his daughters’ college graduations and walking his oldest daughter down the aisle; but most of all, it was the 51 years he spent with his beloved wife, Verna. He always said, “Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me.” If my Dad were here right now I think we all know what he would say “Saddle up; let’s saddle up”.
What’s your fondest memory of James?
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Share a story where James' kindness touched your heart.
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