HOUSKA WILLIAM D

WO1 William D Houska died after flight school but did not serve as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam on 06/14/1999 at the age of 56.6 from Heart attack
Wildwood, MO
Flight Class 65-6W
Date of Birth 10/26/1942
Served in the U.S. Army

More detail on this person: WILLIAM HOUSKA SR. HELICOPTER PILOT, RAN TRAINING SCHOOL William D. Houska Sr., a helicopter pilot for many years in St. Louis, died Monday (June 14, 1999) at his home in Wildwood, apparently of a heart attack. He was 56. For 28 years, Mr. Houska owned and operated Metropolitan Helicopter Inc., a pilot training school in Chesterfield. He was a pioneer in the helicopter industry in St. Louis, according to his son William D. Houska Jr. of Chesterfield. "He never really had any enemies. ... People had unbelievable respect for my father." The elder Houska started his career in 1966 flying the traffic helicopter for Don Miller of KSD radio. That year, he and a cameraman were rescued after their helicopter crashed into the Mississippi River when the copter's blades struck a power line. Mr. Houska was born and reared in Nebraska. He served in the National Guard as a helicopter mechanic. He attended St. Louis University's Parks College in Cahokia and got his helicopter training in the Army Reserve in the 1960s. He worked for Pulitzer Publishing Co. for several years before he founded his business. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today at St. Alban Catholic Church, 2001 Shepard Road, Wildwood. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery. Besides his son William, among the other survivors are his wife, Martha "Jan" Houska; son Gregory S. Houska of Chesterfield; his parents, Joseph and Evelyn Houska of Wahoo, Neb.; a brother, Joseph J. Houska Jr. of Wahoo; and two grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the William D. Houska Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of Metropolitan Helicopter Inc., 346 North Eatherton Road, Chesterfield, Mo. 63005.

Burial information: WILLIAM HOUSKA SR. HELICOPTER PILOT, RAN TRAINING SCHOOL

This information was last updated 11/07/2018

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024