Carl A. Stracka

1924 - 2018

Carl A. Stracka

Green Lake - Carl A. Stracka, age 93, of Appleton and Green Lake, passed away at home, May 21, 2018 in Green Lake surrounded by his family. Carl was born on July 15, 1924 in Hartford, WI the son of Anton and Katherine (Bauer) Stracka.

Carl graduated from Hartford High School, Class of 1942, as Vice-president of his class. In his Junior and Senior year, he played half-back on the Little Ten Conference Champs football team and lettered in Track and Field. He was united in marriage to "the love of his life", Barbara Friday on December 30, 1954 in Fond du Lac, WI.

During WWII, Carl joined the U.S. Army Air Corp at the age of 18 and received his Silver Wings as a Pilot in June of 1944. He elected to go to Cherignola, Italy and serve as a Co-Pilot on the B-24 Liberator in the 15thAir Force. He was on the Isle of Capri when VE Day was announced and returned home in the Spring of 1945 to start college.

Carl graduated from UW-Madison in 1949 receiving his BS in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of Theda Delta Chi and sang in the UW Men's Chorus. He became a Sales Engineer for the General Electric Company and called on paper mills, iron mines, shipyards and electrical contractors in WI and the Upper Peninsula of MI. During the 33 years Carl worked for GE, he was honored with the Phillippe Award by the Milwaukee GE Elfun Society. He sold electrical equipment for the first American made Koepe Mine Hoist, the first container ship crane, electrical motors and controls for pumping water on the Wisconsin Golden Sands Project, and the electrical system and the propulsion turbine for an iron ore carrier built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. After GE, he became a Manufacturer's Representative and retired at the age of 70.

During his time in Appleton, Carl was Camping Chairman for the Boy Scouts' Gardner Dam Camp for 4 years; Chairman and Life Member of the Northeast Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; Peabody Manor Director for 2 years; St. Thomas Moore Church member; Fox Valley Symphony Director for 2 years; Kiwanis Club of Appleton member, 1975 Club President; Special Olympics, 1986 Chairman; Junior Achievement Chairman and Director; SCORE, President for 3 years; mentored young men in Outagamie County jail and was Delegate to the Republican Party State Convention for over 20 years. Later in life, Carl volunteered as a docent at the EAA Museum in Oshkosh. While at the EAA, he made an oral history recording as part of the EAA's "Timeless Voices of Aviation" and flew from there on the Honor Flight.

Carl spent his summers in Green Lake at the family cottage. He was a longtime member of the Green Lake Yacht Club and enjoyed the Yacht Club parties and social events. He raced his Star Class boat in the weekend club races for many years with his family.

Carl is survived by his wife Barbara; three children: Jeffrey (Linda Klein) Stracka of Boston, MA; Julie (Michael) Jankowski of Green Lake, WI; and Jeanne (Michael) Shohoney of Ripon, WI; 8 grandchildren: Lauren (Greg) Fulton of San Francisco, CA; Nikki Stracka of New York, NY; Ava (Mark) Sommerhauser of Stoughton, WI; Stefan (Kara) Jankowski of Green Lake, WI; Anna (Dr. Neel Patel) Jankowski of Portland, OR; Ryan Shohoney of Madison, WI; Ross Shohoney of Chicago, IL and Reed Shohoney of Ripon, WI; great granddaughter, Eloise Sommerhauser; sister, Rosemarie Niedermann of Rockford, IL; brother, Jim(Karen) Stracka of Pasadena, CA; sister-in-law, Marge Stracka of Madison, WI; other relatives and many dear friends. He is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers: Bob (Diane) Stracka and Tony Stracka and daughter-in-law Nancy Stracka.

A Visitation will begin at 11:00AM, for Carl, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Appleton on Saturday, June 9, 2018 with a service starting at 11:30AM, Father Jim Harrison officiating. A church luncheon will follow. Inurnment will be held at Dartford Cemetery in Green Lake at 4:00PM with full military honors.

Memorials are appreciated to the Oshkosh EAA Young Eagles Program, Appleton-Fox Cities Kiwanis, Green Lake American Legion Post 306, or Thrasher Opera House of Green Lake, in Carl's name. Divine Passage Funeral Home in Ripon is proudly serving the family. divinepassagefunerals.com