John Stephen Porvaznik Jr. of Warwick passed away in the comfort of his home, surrounded by family, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. He was 75 years old.
He was born in Pittsfield, Mass., on March 28, 1944, the son of John and Maria (Mucha) Porvaznik, and raised in Warwick.
After graduating high school he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and in February 1964, married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Hoag.
They lived in Florida and Michigan until 1968, when he was assigned to the Presidential Flight Crew of Air Force One at Andrew’s Air Force Base in Maryland. He served tours in Thailand and Okinawa and worked under Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan until retiring in 1986.
He worked for British Aerospace, Dulles, Va., and returned to Warwick in 1999, where he worked several more years with IKON.
John enjoyed gardening, woodworking, tinkering around the house, fishing, summer stays at the beach in North Carolina and traveling; his last adventure being a trip to Dubai. John had a knack for making lifelong friends after just one meeting. He was a loving husband for 54 years.
John is predeceased by his wife, Carol, his brothers Cyril, Lawrence, David and Andrew Porvaznik and sister Mary Jane Zamichieli.
He is survived by daughter Amber Ewing and grandson Shawn Wiggen of Leonardtown, Maryland; son John Porvaznik III, daughter-in-law Jennifer and grandsons Kameron, Daemon and Michael Porvaznik of Cary, N.C.; brothers Paul (Cherylanne) Porvaznik of Middletown, N.Y., and Daniel Porvaznik of Junction City, Ohio, and sisters Stephanie Dragonette of Somerset, Ohio, Susan (John) Estes of Liverpool, N.Y., Teresa (Charles) Horton of Florida, N.Y., and Patricia (Gary) Hill of New Hampton, N.Y., as well as many adored nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in John’s memory to the Leukemia Society, PO Box 98018, Washington, DC, 20090.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 101 Main St., Chester, with interment at Orange County Veterans Cemetery in Goshen.
Arrangements were made by Lazear-Smith & Vanderplaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick. To send an online condolence, visit www.lsvpmemorialhome.com.