Husband to Roberta for 54 years, father to Steve, Susan, and Philip, grandfather to Christopher, Paul, Rebecca, Laura, and Mathew, brother to Anthony.
John was born March 3, 1922 in San Francisco to Steve and Mary Chikes, immigrants from Croatia.
John graduated from St. Ignacius High School in San Francisco. He graduated from Boeing School of Aeronautics, Pacific College degrees in engineering. He was assigned to Yale University for special Air Force engineering programs, and also graduated from the USAF Air War College and the Air Command College.
John and Roberta met on a blind date in 1946, and were married in 1951. They moved from San Francisco to L.A. and finally to the current house in Sunnyvale in 1957. With "How-to" books, John added a 2nd story to accommodate the growing family, doing almost all the work himself.
In his early years, John was an accomplished Jazz musician, playing the saxophone. He was the youngest member of the San Francisco Musician's Union at 16 years old, and went on to play with Jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, Paul Desmond, and Cal Tjader.
John was a veteran of two wars. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in WWII and went to the China/Burma/India region of the Pacific Theatre. He flew P-51 Mustangs, and was later transferred to pilot bombers. On one mission, his B-24 was damaged so badly that on the way back to base, he had to crash-land his bomber in the dense jungles of Burma. Two weeks later, he and his men had hacked their way out of the jungle and made it back to Allied Lines. John flew 67 combat missions over Japan in B-24s and B-29s.
In the Korean War, John flew F-86 Sabers and shot down his handful of Mig-15s in the historic Mig Alley battles. Among his many combat decorations are the Purple Heart, Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star.
From 1951 to 1988 when he retired, John had two remarkable parallel careers in both the military and in civilian industry.
His military career spanned seven years of active, and 23 years of reserve duty in the USAF, retiring as a Colonel. He was a test pilot in the early days at Edwards Air Force Base.
He held multiple positions from Squadron Maintenance Officer up to Group Commander of the 740th Air Group and Commander of the 78th Fighter Wing at Hamilton AFB, flying F-104s and F-106s, the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world. During the '60s and '70s, he developed USAF Data and Systems Management Programs for the Pentagon. John also developed the prototype MOBDES unit for the City of Sunnyvale, responsible for Federal/State/ County/City emergency disaster planning and implementation.
His civilian career as an Aerospace Engineer covered 35 years. As a Senior Research Engineer, Logistics Specialist, and Planning and Systems Engineer, he was involved in countless areas. In the early '60s he was half of a two-man effort that developed satellite recovery techniques. He was a Project Leader on the huge Titan 3C boosters, which carried numerous payloads for the American Space Program. His involvement extended on to the submarine launched Poseidon and Trident ballistic missiles, the Space Shuttle, the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Weapon System on the USS New Jersey, the current system of surveillance satellites, and the orbital space station. He typically had top CIA and NSA security clearances, and could not ever talk about many of his projects.
John started his military flying career as a cadet in bi-plane trainers and finished as a Colonel and Wing Commander flying the best fighter intercepters in the world. He started his engineering career using a slide rule and developing manuals for fighter aircraft and missiles, and finished using the world's most powerful super computers as a Senior Engineer on the most advanced, important, and classified government aerospace projects. All at the same time.
He loved, provided for, and sacrificed for his family. He protected and gave back to his community. A remarkable man.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Service on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Funeral Home's The Chapel of Roses, 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California 95125. Burial to follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose. Published in San Jose Mercury News on Apr. 24, 2005
John was born March 3, 1922 in San Francisco to Steve and Mary Chikes, immigrants from Croatia.
John graduated from St. Ignacius High School in San Francisco. He graduated from Boeing School of Aeronautics, Pacific College degrees in engineering. He was assigned to Yale University for special Air Force engineering programs, and also graduated from the USAF Air War College and the Air Command College.
John and Roberta met on a blind date in 1946, and were married in 1951. They moved from San Francisco to L.A. and finally to the current house in Sunnyvale in 1957. With "How-to" books, John added a 2nd story to accommodate the growing family, doing almost all the work himself.
In his early years, John was an accomplished Jazz musician, playing the saxophone. He was the youngest member of the San Francisco Musician's Union at 16 years old, and went on to play with Jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, Paul Desmond, and Cal Tjader.
John was a veteran of two wars. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in WWII and went to the China/Burma/India region of the Pacific Theatre. He flew P-51 Mustangs, and was later transferred to pilot bombers. On one mission, his B-24 was damaged so badly that on the way back to base, he had to crash-land his bomber in the dense jungles of Burma. Two weeks later, he and his men had hacked their way out of the jungle and made it back to Allied Lines. John flew 67 combat missions over Japan in B-24s and B-29s.
In the Korean War, John flew F-86 Sabers and shot down his handful of Mig-15s in the historic Mig Alley battles. Among his many combat decorations are the Purple Heart, Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star.
From 1951 to 1988 when he retired, John had two remarkable parallel careers in both the military and in civilian industry.
His military career spanned seven years of active, and 23 years of reserve duty in the USAF, retiring as a Colonel. He was a test pilot in the early days at Edwards Air Force Base.
He held multiple positions from Squadron Maintenance Officer up to Group Commander of the 740th Air Group and Commander of the 78th Fighter Wing at Hamilton AFB, flying F-104s and F-106s, the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world. During the '60s and '70s, he developed USAF Data and Systems Management Programs for the Pentagon. John also developed the prototype MOBDES unit for the City of Sunnyvale, responsible for Federal/State/ County/City emergency disaster planning and implementation.
His civilian career as an Aerospace Engineer covered 35 years. As a Senior Research Engineer, Logistics Specialist, and Planning and Systems Engineer, he was involved in countless areas. In the early '60s he was half of a two-man effort that developed satellite recovery techniques. He was a Project Leader on the huge Titan 3C boosters, which carried numerous payloads for the American Space Program. His involvement extended on to the submarine launched Poseidon and Trident ballistic missiles, the Space Shuttle, the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Weapon System on the USS New Jersey, the current system of surveillance satellites, and the orbital space station. He typically had top CIA and NSA security clearances, and could not ever talk about many of his projects.
John started his military flying career as a cadet in bi-plane trainers and finished as a Colonel and Wing Commander flying the best fighter intercepters in the world. He started his engineering career using a slide rule and developing manuals for fighter aircraft and missiles, and finished using the world's most powerful super computers as a Senior Engineer on the most advanced, important, and classified government aerospace projects. All at the same time.
He loved, provided for, and sacrificed for his family. He protected and gave back to his community. A remarkable man.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Service on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Funeral Home's The Chapel of Roses, 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California 95125. Burial to follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose. Published in San Jose Mercury News on Apr. 24, 2005
Husband to Roberta for 54 years, father to Steve, Susan, and Philip, grandfather to Christopher, Paul, Rebecca, Laura, and Mathew, brother to Anthony.
John was born March 3, 1922 in San Francisco to Steve and Mary Chikes, immigrants from Croatia.
John graduated from St. Ignacius High School in San Francisco. He graduated from Boeing School of Aeronautics, Pacific College degrees in engineering. He was assigned to Yale University for special Air Force engineering programs, and also graduated from the USAF Air War College and the Air Command College.
John and Roberta met on a blind date in 1946, and were married in 1951. They moved from San Francisco to L.A. and finally to the current house in Sunnyvale in 1957. With "How-to" books, John added a 2nd story to accommodate the growing family, doing almost all the work himself.
In his early years, John was an accomplished Jazz musician, playing the saxophone. He was the youngest member of the San Francisco Musician's Union at 16 years old, and went on to play with Jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, Paul Desmond, and Cal Tjader.
John was a veteran of two wars. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in WWII and went to the China/Burma/India region of the Pacific Theatre. He flew P-51 Mustangs, and was later transferred to pilot bombers. On one mission, his B-24 was damaged so badly that on the way back to base, he had to crash-land his bomber in the dense jungles of Burma. Two weeks later, he and his men had hacked their way out of the jungle and made it back to Allied Lines. John flew 67 combat missions over Japan in B-24s and B-29s.
In the Korean War, John flew F-86 Sabers and shot down his handful of Mig-15s in the historic Mig Alley battles. Among his many combat decorations are the Purple Heart, Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star.
From 1951 to 1988 when he retired, John had two remarkable parallel careers in both the military and in civilian industry.
His military career spanned seven years of active, and 23 years of reserve duty in the USAF, retiring as a Colonel. He was a test pilot in the early days at Edwards Air Force Base.
He held multiple positions from Squadron Maintenance Officer up to Group Commander of the 740th Air Group and Commander of the 78th Fighter Wing at Hamilton AFB, flying F-104s and F-106s, the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world. During the '60s and '70s, he developed USAF Data and Systems Management Programs for the Pentagon. John also developed the prototype MOBDES unit for the City of Sunnyvale, responsible for Federal/State/ County/City emergency disaster planning and implementation.
His civilian career as an Aerospace Engineer covered 35 years. As a Senior Research Engineer, Logistics Specialist, and Planning and Systems Engineer, he was involved in countless areas. In the early '60s he was half of a two-man effort that developed satellite recovery techniques. He was a Project Leader on the huge Titan 3C boosters, which carried numerous payloads for the American Space Program. His involvement extended on to the submarine launched Poseidon and Trident ballistic missiles, the Space Shuttle, the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Weapon System on the USS New Jersey, the current system of surveillance satellites, and the orbital space station. He typically had top CIA and NSA security clearances, and could not ever talk about many of his projects.
John started his military flying career as a cadet in bi-plane trainers and finished as a Colonel and Wing Commander flying the best fighter intercepters in the world. He started his engineering career using a slide rule and developing manuals for fighter aircraft and missiles, and finished using the world's most powerful super computers as a Senior Engineer on the most advanced, important, and classified government aerospace projects. All at the same time.
He loved, provided for, and sacrificed for his family. He protected and gave back to his community. A remarkable man.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Service on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Funeral Home's The Chapel of Roses, 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California 95125. Burial to follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose. Published in San Jose Mercury News on Apr. 24, 2005
John was born March 3, 1922 in San Francisco to Steve and Mary Chikes, immigrants from Croatia.
John graduated from St. Ignacius High School in San Francisco. He graduated from Boeing School of Aeronautics, Pacific College degrees in engineering. He was assigned to Yale University for special Air Force engineering programs, and also graduated from the USAF Air War College and the Air Command College.
John and Roberta met on a blind date in 1946, and were married in 1951. They moved from San Francisco to L.A. and finally to the current house in Sunnyvale in 1957. With "How-to" books, John added a 2nd story to accommodate the growing family, doing almost all the work himself.
In his early years, John was an accomplished Jazz musician, playing the saxophone. He was the youngest member of the San Francisco Musician's Union at 16 years old, and went on to play with Jazz greats such as Dave Brubeck, Vince Guaraldi, Paul Desmond, and Cal Tjader.
John was a veteran of two wars. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in WWII and went to the China/Burma/India region of the Pacific Theatre. He flew P-51 Mustangs, and was later transferred to pilot bombers. On one mission, his B-24 was damaged so badly that on the way back to base, he had to crash-land his bomber in the dense jungles of Burma. Two weeks later, he and his men had hacked their way out of the jungle and made it back to Allied Lines. John flew 67 combat missions over Japan in B-24s and B-29s.
In the Korean War, John flew F-86 Sabers and shot down his handful of Mig-15s in the historic Mig Alley battles. Among his many combat decorations are the Purple Heart, Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Silver Star.
From 1951 to 1988 when he retired, John had two remarkable parallel careers in both the military and in civilian industry.
His military career spanned seven years of active, and 23 years of reserve duty in the USAF, retiring as a Colonel. He was a test pilot in the early days at Edwards Air Force Base.
He held multiple positions from Squadron Maintenance Officer up to Group Commander of the 740th Air Group and Commander of the 78th Fighter Wing at Hamilton AFB, flying F-104s and F-106s, the fastest and most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world. During the '60s and '70s, he developed USAF Data and Systems Management Programs for the Pentagon. John also developed the prototype MOBDES unit for the City of Sunnyvale, responsible for Federal/State/ County/City emergency disaster planning and implementation.
His civilian career as an Aerospace Engineer covered 35 years. As a Senior Research Engineer, Logistics Specialist, and Planning and Systems Engineer, he was involved in countless areas. In the early '60s he was half of a two-man effort that developed satellite recovery techniques. He was a Project Leader on the huge Titan 3C boosters, which carried numerous payloads for the American Space Program. His involvement extended on to the submarine launched Poseidon and Trident ballistic missiles, the Space Shuttle, the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Weapon System on the USS New Jersey, the current system of surveillance satellites, and the orbital space station. He typically had top CIA and NSA security clearances, and could not ever talk about many of his projects.
John started his military flying career as a cadet in bi-plane trainers and finished as a Colonel and Wing Commander flying the best fighter intercepters in the world. He started his engineering career using a slide rule and developing manuals for fighter aircraft and missiles, and finished using the world's most powerful super computers as a Senior Engineer on the most advanced, important, and classified government aerospace projects. All at the same time.
He loved, provided for, and sacrificed for his family. He protected and gave back to his community. A remarkable man.
Family and friends are invited to attend Funeral Service on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Funeral Home's The Chapel of Roses, 300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, California 95125. Burial to follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose. Published in San Jose Mercury News on Apr. 24, 2005
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