More detail on this person: Today John Mariner
Szabo croaked.
Truth be told, he actually passed on Sunday June
2, 2013, but if you knew him you see him now in
this - his requested obituary opening line.
John Szabo passed at Temple University Hospital
from injuries sustained in an accident that
occurred June 1, while piloting his twin engine
Wilson Cri Cri (Cricket) airplane out of
Doylestown Airport. A tragic end to a life lived
to the fullest; some comfort may be found in that
he died doing what he loved.
Although 69 in years, the twinkle in his eye, the
sharpness of his mind, and his enthusiasm for life
were wonderfully and contagiously childlike.
Born in Rahway, N.J., in 1944, to Aline Rothen and
John Szabo, he later moved to Florida where he
graduated from Lake Worth High School, then he
packed up his Corvette and traveled across the
country in search of new adventures.
From 1966 to 1968, he served with distinction and
valor as a member of the U.S. Army Aviation
Branch. Serving two combat tours in Vietnam, he
earned the coveted title of Aircraft Commander,
piloting a UH1H/Huey helicopter. He was twice
wounded in action, earning numerous awards and
distinctions, including the Purple Heart.
John continued his passion for flight and became a
career pilot, employed most recently for more than
20 years with Merck in New Jersey.
He built and flew his own aircraft, restored
classic cars and found joy in nature. There was
nothing he couldn't fix, and no question from his
children or grandchildren that he couldn't answer.
He was a jack of all trades and master of every
one of them. John is survived by daughter Cristine
Hahm, her husband Kyung, and their sons, Alex
and Max of Seattle, Wash., his son, Robert Szabo
of Allentown, Pa.; and his sisters, Aline Humphrey
of Pueblo, Colo., Carol Szabo of El Granada,
Calif. and Nancy Raynor of Montgomery, Ala. His
longtime girlfriend, Heather Kimak, who died June
7, 2012, and her children held a special place in
his heart, as did friends, Jim and Andrea Mehling,
Tim Lelie, George Scholl, and Jack Gardner.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his
graveside service at 2:30 p.m., Monday, June 24,
at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830
Highland Road, Newtown. The funeral procession
will leave at 1:15 p.m. from Reed and Steinbach
Funeral Home, 2335 Lower State Road,
Doylestown. Please note the cemetery is in
Pennsylvania and will not admit latecomers. A
reception will follow in the main hanger at
Princeton Airport.
Please visit
http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/JohnSzabo/ho
mepage.aspx for more details and to share
memories.
Memorial contributions may be made to EAA
Young Eagles, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903
or to the Space Foundation, Attention:
Development, Space Foundation, 4425 Arrowswest
Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 or via the Web
site www.spacefoundation.org/donate.
Thank you to all who touched his life. He misses
us, is glad he was so loved, is delighted to once
again have a full head of hair, and is happy he
does not need to pay taxes.
Followed dreams, tinkered, adventured, learned,
laughed, loved... Reed and Steinbach Funeral
Home, Doylestown
www.reedandsteinbach.com
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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