 (Source: Coronado Eagle & Journal 28 Apr 2025) Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and longtime Coronado resident CDR Edward Stanley Pietrzak, Jr., USN, Ret. has entered into rest. He was 90. CDR Pietrzak was born Jan. 28, 1935, in rural Pine Island, NY, and graduated from nearby Warwick High School in 1952, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was predeceased by his parents Edward Stanley Pietrzak, Sr. of Brooklyn, NY, and Stella Marcella Pietrzak nee Matuszewski of Pine Island, NY; by his wife of 56 years Marilyn Pietrzak nee Murray (no middle name) of New Brighton, PA; by his brother Robert Pietrzak of Pine Island, NY; and by his dear partner Sharon Jansa nee McDougall of Houston, TX. Ed and his future wife Marilyn met in college at Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, PA, where both graduated in 1956 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration. Big Ed played offensive tackle for the undefeated 1955 Drexel Dragons football team, and as a starting pitcher for the baseball team was granted a full scholarship. Dad was a member of Theta Chi fraternity while wife-to-be Marilyn pledged to Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. She was a cheerleader, valedictorian, and graduated at the top of Drexel’s School of Business. Mom was both beautiful and brilliant! Immediately following graduation, Ed entered Officer Candidate School at NAS Pensacola, FL, earning his Wings of Gold as a Naval aviator. On Nov. 17, 1956, Ed and Marilyn were wed at the home of her parents in Beaver Falls, PA, thereupon embarking on their lives together as a Navy couple. Their two children, Edward and Michael, were both born at Pensacola Naval Hospital in 1957 and 1961, respectively. Tours of duty took the young Navy family to St. Simon’s Island, GA; Toms River, NJ; Pensacola again; Upper Montclair, NJ; and North Kingstown, RI before finally landing in Coronado in the spring of 1967, where Dad and Mom bought a modest “Palmer” home. Their boys, Eddie and Mike, each graduated from THE mighty Coronado High. Dad retired from the Navy in 1977, and, alas, Mom passed away in 2013 on her 79th birthday. CDR Pietrzak’s distinguished career as a Naval aviator began as one of the last of the blimp pilots, large and in charge of a behemoth ZPG-3W airship as an eager Lieutenant, junior grade, having joined Airship Airborne Early Warning Squadron ZP-1 at NAS Lakehurst, NJ. When the Navy’s “gas-bag” squadrons were disestablished in 1960, Dad served a four-year tour of duty as an instructor at the Navy Pre-Flight School at NAS Pensacola, after which then-LT Pietrzak transitioned into the twin-prop S-2F Tracker (“Stoof”), joining Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-28 at NAS Quonset Point, RI, busy patrolling the North Atlantic aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CVS-18), searching for Soviet subs and overseeing Gemini space-capsule recoveries circa 1965, as NASA missions to the final frontier ramped up in earnest, ever upward and onward en route to infinity and beyond! Right, Buzz? CDR Pietrzak’s next duty station was NAS North Island where Dad flew the distinctive-looking radome-topped E-1B Tracer (aka “Willy Fudd” or “Stoof with a Roof”), joining All-Weather Squadron VAW-111 for a combat deployment to Vietnam aboard the attack aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), which left North Island on Dec. 28, 1967 bound for the Tonkin Gulf, sailing into harm’s way. Well, Merry Christmas, indeed! After finally coming home to Coronado, CDR Pietrzak served a tour of duty at NAS Miramar on the staff of the Adversary Squadron, helping plan missions against which our carrier battle groups on maneuvers offshore would defend. The Vietnam War was far away but far from over, so a second combat deployment was in the offing for Dad, this time aboard the USS Hancock (CVA-19) as Officer-in-Charge of his detachment of Willy Fudds, at sea for the better part of 1972. Upon returning home yet again, CDR Pietrzak’s final billet was as Executive Officer (second-in-command) of Fleet Area Control Surveillance Facility (FACSFAC) at NAS North Island, after which CDR Pietrzak retired from the Navy. We honor Dad’s 21 years of sacrifice and service to our nation. Huzzah! CDR Pietrzak’s military decorations include the Bronze Star, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V” device for Valor, Air Medal (6), Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Gold Palm Leaf, and several other service and campaign medals. Between deployments while still on active duty, CDR Pietrzak furthered his education, earning an M.B.A. from National University and a J.D. (Juris Doctor) from California Western School of Law, demonstrating a tireless diligence which served him well in his post-Navy career as a successful commercial real estate broker with Cotton Ritchie Corporation, where he worked for 25 years at their downtown San Diego office, before finally retiring in 2002. Big Ed was a member of the Optimist Club of Coronado, the Tailhook Association, and the Naval Airship Association and once served as a deacon at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church. He was an avid golfer and past-president of Coronado Men’s Golf Club, where he enjoyed time spent on the course and in the clubhouse with his cronies, perhaps spinning yarns about their latest aces! CDR Pietrzak prided himself on keeping up with current events, enjoyed following all sorts of sports, and was keen on gardening in the back forty, tending to his prized rose bushes and prolific tomato plants. He had a green thumb, to be sure! Dad was well-informed, opinionated, patriotic, courageous, and generous to a tee. He greatly cherished time spent with family and friends, all of whom will miss his wonderful sense of humor. Moreover, Dad shall most certainly be missed by those who sought out his sage advice, including yours truly, of course. CDR Pietrzak is survived by his sons Edward Murray Pietrzak of Coronado and Michael Jon Pietrzak (Judy) of San Diego; brother Richard Pietrzak (Linda) of Charlottesville, VA; sister-in-law Jeanne Pietrzak nee Langdon of Savannah, GA; nieces Pam Peters (Jeff) of Westport, CT and Erika Pierce nee Pietrzak (James) of Charlottesville, VA; grand-nieces Elaina Pierce and Juliana Pierce, both of Charlottesville, VA; daughters-in-law Gilby Lynn Steele of El Cajon and Ann Marie-Therese “Mianne” Legaspi of San Diego; granddaughters Sydney Ellen Pietrzak of New York City, Katherine Glasgow Bass nee Pietrzak (Greg) of El Cajon, Alana Michele Pietrzak of San Diego, Sharon Elizabeth Stephanie Onggo (Scott) of Baltimore, MD, and Saskia Jacintha Onggo of New York City; grandson Stevyndennis Jameson Onggo of Elk Grove, CA; and great-grandson Alexander Kenneth Bass of El Cajon. CDR Pietrzak’s ashes were interred alongside those of his beloved wife Marilyn in their shared columbarium niche at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, high atop Point Loma, together forever overlooking North Island and Coronado. We wish Ed and Marilyn fair winds and following seas. “May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.” VOL. 115, NO. 17 - April 23, 2025 Note: CDR Pietrzak is included in Project Home Front - an effort by the Coronado Historical Association to help identify the importance of Naval Aviation to Coronado by recognizing the homes where a naval aviator once lived (or lives now): 
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 Retired Captain W. Paul (Paul) Courtney, USN Ret., was born on July 7, 1933, in Fort Worth, Texas, and passed away on December 22, 2024, in St. Johns, Florida. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on April 24, 2025. Paul spent most of his childhood in the Houston area, except for the summers he spent in Tulsa, OK, with his cousins on his grandparents’ farm and in the oil fields. He met the love of his life, his beautiful wife Shirley Jean Tyson (deceased), at the University of Houston. After attending Officer Candidate School and Flight School, he was given orders to Honolulu, Hawaii, where Shirley eventually joined him, and they were married. He is survived by his two daughters, Karen Courtney and Lynn Courtney Hegedus (Pete), and his six grandchildren. Karen’s children are Vanessa, Ashlyn, and Marcus, and Lynn’s children are Andrew, Kat, and Paul. Captain Courtney also left behind his beloved teacup Yorkie, Gigi. Captain Courtney loved serving in the US Navy and especially as an aviator. He was qualified for carrier landings flying the E-2 Hawkeye aircraft and eventually served as the Commanding Officer (CO) of VAW-125 (1970-71) and RVAW-120 (1972-73). After a stint at the Pentagon, Captain Courtney was then assigned as Commander, Carrier Airborne Early Wing TWELVE (1976-78). He retired after 26 years serving his country and went on to work in the private sector until retiring to Florida in 1998. (Source: Family provided)   Wing Commander Peter "Cowboy" Krieg joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1981 as an Air Defence Controller (ADC). In 1989, Cowboy (then a Flight Lieutenant) was the first RAAF officer to be selected for the United States Navy's exchange program for the E-2 Hawkeye to develop Airborne Early Warning Command and Control operational experience with a mandate to stand up the project for the RAAF's potential AEW&C aircraft on return. While driving back from RAAF Woomera, he pondered the news of his assignment and thought of the new aircraft's names. Rounding a bend on the Stuart Highway, he spotted a Wedgetail eagle picking at a dead kangaroo on the side of the road. As he got closer, the eagle took flight, just missing his windscreen; at that moment, the Wedgetail aircraft received its name. Cowboy became the first ADC to be awarded the US Navy's Wings of Gold as a qualified E-2 Hawkeye Naval Flight Officer and subsequently accumulated close to 420 flight hours in the E-2C. Upon return to Australia, he spent five years in Canberra, assuming a critical role in gaining government approval for the Wedgetail AIR 5077 Project, for which he earned a Conspicuous Service Cross and took command of No. 2 ASQN on its re-purposing in 2000. In 2001, Cowboy joined Boeing so he could continue work on the Wedgetail program, playing a leading role in the delivery of the final aircraft to the RAAF in 2012. In total, he contributed close to 32 years to the Wedgetail project. A memorial service was held for Cowboy on November 8. About 300 family and friends travelled from around the globe to gather in the 2 Squadron hangar at RAAF Base Williamtown to honor Cowboy. Commanding Officer of 2 Squadron Wing Commander Samuel Thorpe, a long-term colleague and friend of Wing Commander Krieg, remembers his legacy. “Without Cowboy’s determination, dedication and vision, Wedgetail would have remained just a dream,” Wing Commander Thorpe said. “Through his strong leadership and advocacy, the RAAF now has a sovereign AEW&C capability for the defence of our nation. “In his own words, while I was visiting him in hospital: ‘2 Squadron and the E-7 has exceeded all my expectations; from a capability that our government and our own service didn’t want, to the capability that no one can live without’.” Cowboy took his last flight during the memorial, as his ashes were piped to the E-7A Wedgetail, with a playlist of his choosing as the aircraft prepared for departure. “His legacy is now etched in history, with a perpetual award in his honour: a painting detailing ‘the moment a dream was born’ that will grace the halls of 2 Squadron for as long as the 2 Squadron colours fly; and his Fighter Controller brevet proudly hanging in number one position as an honorary E-7A aircrew member in the 2 Squadron bar Fort Courage,” Wing Commander Thorpe said. (More about Cowboy) Sourced from:   (Sourced from: Friedrich Jones & Everman Jones Funeral Homes & Cremation Services)
James Guy "Jim" Beier, age 62, U.S. Navy veteran 1981-1989, a resident of Aurora, IL since 2012, formerly of Mattoon, IL, Nashua, NH and Florence, SC, passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at his home after a 7 ½ year battle with cancer. He was born on March 17, 1963, in Laredo, TX. Beloved husband of Lisa R. Beier (nee Wyse), whom he married on November 16, 1996, loving father of Jessica and Alex Beier, devoted son of Sandra (nee Eaton) and the late Arthur J. Beier, dear brother of Kimberly (the late Allen) Cline of Columbus Junction, IA, son-in-law of Douglas and Patricia Wyse of The Villages, FL, brother-in-law of Dr. David (Natalie) Wyse of Bloomington, IL, proud uncle of Ryan, Jack and Isabella Wyse, fond nephew, cousin and friend of many. James (Jim) Guy Beier, age 62, passed away peacefully in his home in Aurora, IL on Sunday, May 4th, 2025. Jim was born on Sunday, March 17th, 1963, in Laredo, TX. He and his family lived in several places throughout his youth, including Washington state, Turkey, before settling in Mattoon, IL at the age of 7. Jim graduated from Mattoon High School in 1981 and enrolled in the US Navy for 8 years. In the Navy, Jim repaired communication, navigation, radar, and other advanced electronic equipment on various aircraft. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway for 3 years, forward deployed in Japan. He was recruited for instructor duty to teach component level repair of aviation systems for F-14 aircraft at NAS Miramar, San Diego. He taught there for 3 ½ years and trained over 130 technicians. He was awarded Master Training Specialist, and his last rank achieved was AT1 (E6). Jim then moved home to Mattoon, IL to begin his education to become a Mechanical Engineer. He began his education at Lake Land College two years before transferring to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in December of 1995. Jim was very hardworking and knowledgeable in the cryogenics industry. He started his work as a mechanical engineer at Bruker in Lisle. He then moved to Florence, SC to work at GE for 7 years. After that, moved to Aurora, IL to work as the VP of Sumitomo Cryogenics of America for the last 13 years of his career. He was well respected by coworkers and peers in the industry. Jim enjoyed travelling to Tokyo, Japan several times per year to visit his coworkers, who he regarded as his dear friends. Throughout his life, Jim enjoyed travelling the world. He had opportunities to travel through the Navy and for his work. His favorite cities in the world were Hong Kong, China, Prague, The Czech Republic, and Tokyo, Japan. He also enjoyed traveling to the Bahamas with his family. Jim had many talents and hobbies, but primarily he enjoyed fixing and building things. There was no car problem too difficult for him to fix, and he loved to come up with “projects” around the house to keep him and his mind busy. He also enjoyed building wooden model airplanes. Jim enjoyed spending time outdoors by walking around lakes and forest preserves with his family, going on runs, golfing, and fishing with his daughter Jessica. He enjoyed tennis and softball. He also enjoyed shooting guns and was a certified pistol instructor. He enjoyed going to baseball and hockey games with his family, he was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals but enjoyed seeing games for many local teams. Jim’s family and many friends can attest to the quality of his character. Jim was a kind, honest, funny, talented, and loyal man. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 1:00-4:00 PM at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville, IL 60540. A celebration of Jim’s life and military honors will follow Saturday, at 4:00 PM in the funeral home. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in memory of James Beier to support the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. Checks may be made payable to the “University of Chicago Medicine” and sent to the following address:
For more information, please call (630) 355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com  (Originally published on Legacy.com by Dale Woodward Funeral Homes and Cremation Services - Daytona Beach on Aug. 22, 2024 ) Commander Foltzer, my dad, left us peacefully early in the morning August 17, 2024. He had a long and frustrating battle with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and we're glad he's no longer suffering. Although he's terribly missed already, he left his mark on each of us in his own way and with regard to us as individuals. Commander Foltzer was fascinated with electronics at a young age and would take things apart to see how they worked; sometimes fixing a problem, or even creating something new from the parts. We always knew where to turn if a device broke; he invariably knew the fix. He even built us a train village to go under our Christmas tree with working street lights, whistles, alarms and smoke. I fondly recall watching him put it together. He was interested in aviation and any and all flying vehicles which led him to serve his country in the United States Navy. Commander Foltzer served as the commanding officer of the VAW-125 Tigertails E2 squadron with tours of duty aboard the USS JOHN F> KENNEDY (CV 67) and USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). After retiring from the Navy Commander Foltzer went to work for Lockheed Martin and then later for Westinghouse in their airships division. Airships intrigued him and he decided to design his own lightweight airship to be used for cargo transport and surveillance. He was a very religious man and Christmas was his favorite holiday. He insisted on decorating the house like something from the cover of Better Homes and Gardens every year. He took great pride in creating the perfect Christmas for friends and family. Commander Foltzer is preceded in death by his wife Doris Lane (2005) and his brother Larry Foltzer (2024). He leaves behind his spouse Ralph H. Wilkinson, a son Lenny Foltzer, a daughter Angel Foltzer, several grand children and great grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. "Fair Winds and Following Seas" (To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Louis, please visit the Tree Store at Legacy.com)  |
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