Donald J. Markowski Donald J. Markowski, 77, was born Oct. 19, 1935, in Chicago, IL, and died Nov. 29, 2012, in NM. Don spent his grammar school years in Burlingame and San Mateo, CA, high school at Morton High School in Cicero, IL and got his A & E diploma from the University of Illinois at Champaign/ Urbana. In the late 1950s, he served in the Illinois Air National Guard at O'Hare Airport. As a teen, Don and his father recovered and rebuilt a single engine airplane housed in their garage at 1440 S. Highland in Berwyn, IL. After high school graduation, he flew this plane back and forth to downstate U of I. He accumulated many mechanical and aeronautical certificates in his teens, thus leading to his early employment at United Airlines. Donald, as his father Joseph, was a flight crew member for United Airlines. At 21 years of age, he was the youngest pilot UAL ever had. He was based in Chicago during his flying years with United Airlines. Preceding him in death was his father, Joseph A. Markowski; his mother, Caroline Stachurski Markowski; his uncle, Leo (Millie) Markowski; and his aunts, Pauline Markowski and Josephine (Roman) Markowski Chwastek. Surviving family are his four children, Donna (Gary) Schneberger, Dianne (Mick) Brady, Mary (Neil) Masterson and Dale (Louise) Markowski. He was the grandparent of Scott, Daniel and Dale Schneberger, Shalyn and Karleen Brady, Rachel and Allyson Masterson, and Brittani and Kaylee Markowski. He is also survived by his sister, Marilyn (Marshall) Markowski Furer; a brother, Bob; and many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Services were private.
Published in Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on February 10, 2013
