Lt. Col.Frank Koza

Frank Koza, 91, of Morrison, CO, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, May 31, 2014. He passed away peacefully at his son's home following a brief period of failing health. Frank was preceded in death by the love of his life, Helen, in December 2009. He is survived by his daughter Susan (Alan) Scavone of Morrison, CO; son Douglas (Janeen) Koza of Conifer, CO; and his daughter-in-law Nancy Koza of Columbia, MD. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Jason (Jackie) Koza of Auburn, MA; Christopher (Emily) Caldwell of Denver, CO; Jenna and Steffany Koza of Conifer, CO; Joanna (Jason) Lackram of Minneapolis, MN; great-grandson Logan Koza of Auburn, MA; and many nieces and nephews. Frank was also preceded in death by his son Frank Koza, Jr. in 2007, his parents, and his two sisters.

Frank was born October 7, 1922 in Lawrence, MA to Antoni and Mary (Korc) Koza. He grew up in Andover, MA on the family farm and graduated from Punchard High School. He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in 1942 and became a B-24 bomber pilot during World War II, flying 35 combat missions over Germany. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. After returning from the war, he met Helen Martinson, a nurse at Lawrence General Hospital. They married on January 6, 1946 and made their home in Andover where they raised their three children. Frank was an air traffic controller at Hanscom AFB in Bedford, MA. He also continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves until 1964. He flew C-119 transport aircraft at Grenier AFB in Manchester, NH. His career with the FAA led to a series of moves where he served as a control tower chief. In 1972, Frank and Helen moved to Nantucket Island, MA; in 1973 to Madison, CT; in 1975 to Bedford, NH; and in 1978, they retired to Centerville, MA on Cape Cod. After nearly 23 years on the Cape, they moved to Madison, WI in 2001 to be near their daughter and her family, and then finally in 2005 moved to Morrison, CO to be near both their daughter's and youngest son's families.

Frank had a lifelong interest in the military and flying. He enjoyed reading about WW II and was a member of the 392nd Bomb Group Memorial Association and the Second Air Division Association Eighth Air Force. In 2010, Frank was thrilled to take a flight in the restored Collings Foundation B-24J Liberator with his son, Douglas. He and Helen enjoyed attending air shows around the country, walking on the beaches of Cape Cod, spending time with their children and grandchildren, and travelling throughout the country. While living in Andover, they attended Free Christian Church and enjoyed most of their retirement years attending Christ Chapel in Centerville, MA and West Middleton Lutheran Church in Verona, WI. Frank was a devoted husband of nearly 64 years, and beloved father and grandfather. After Helen's death in 2009, Frank continued to live independently until January 2013 when he moved to Morningstar Assisted Living in Littleton, CO. He received excellent care from their staff and delighted in the friendships he made there. We wish to extend our deep appreciation to the staff and residents at Morningstar who made his final years comfortable and enjoyable. Frank will be deeply missed by his children, grandchildren, family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 11 am. on Thursday, June 19th at the Newcomer Funeral Home – West Metro Chapel, 901 S. Sheridan Blvd., Lakewood, CO, with visitation beginning at 10:30 am. Burial will follow at Fort Logan National Cemetery with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations can be made to one of the following:
Mt. Evans Home Health and Hospice
3081 Bergen Peak Dr.
Evergreen, CO 80439
http://www.mtevans.org/product/donate/
OR
The Collings Foundation
PO Box 248
Stow, MA 01775
(No online donations – donations can be mailed to the address above indicating "In Memory of Frank Koza for B-24 Restoration Projects)

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