The staff at Ground Support Worldwide is saddened to learn of the passing of former GSE columnist Anthony "Tony" Vasko.
Passionate about aviation, including his favorite aircraft - the DC-8 63, Tony retired from the airline industry after 53 years and then continued to contribute to the aviation as a columnist.
Everyone at Ground Support Worldwide offers our condolences to Tony's former colleagues, friends and family - especially children, Steve and Karen Vasko.
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The world has lost a remarkable man who spent a significant part of his life in public service. Anthony “Tony” Vasko was born in Manhattan in 1934, passed away on June 29 at the age of 90 in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was known for his loyalty to his wife and family, love of history, sharp intellect, thirst for knowledge, detailed memory and strong, mischievous sense of humor.
He grew up with his younger sister Marie and their Slovak family in a small tenement on Manhattan's Upper East Side, an area rich with German and Eastern-European immigrant stories and food. WWII instilled in him a deep patriotism and love for the United States. When he was 7, his father left abruptly, causing significant hardship. He often reminisced about his mother, Marie Bires Vasko, whose wisdom and hard work ensured her children received a good education and exposure to the arts despite her meager income. Highlights of his childhood included trips to NYC museums, Central Park, 10 Mile River Boy Scout Summer Camp, and family outings to Bear Mountain.
Tony truly embodied the power of what an excellent public-school education and curious mind can do for one’s life. His life-long love of aircraft and his education at PS 6 enabled him to be accepted into Brooklyn Technical High School’s Aeronautical Engineering course.
To help support the family in his teen years, he worked at one of the large, ex-vaudeville, movie “Palaces” in Manhattan, RKO 58th Street and recounted hilarious stories about the bizarre cast of characters that frequented it.
In 1953, he was accepted to the Academy of Aeronautics after achieving the highest score ever recorded on their entrance exam. He graduated early as a licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic. From 1954 he worked for Lockheed Air Service at New York’s Idlewild Airport (JFK).
He met his future wife and the love of his life on a double date with his close friend Norm Millinder at Rye Playland Amusement park. They wed at Saint Ignatius in NYC and were married for over 50 years until Barbara (Henderson) Vasko passed in 2012.
The couple saved money by working nights and overtime to build a home on Eatons Neck Long Island, an eclectic hamlet situated on a peninsula of Northport, NY. Tony volunteered as a fireman and was proud to be elected Chief after years of service. He served on the Board of Fire Commissioners, including a tenure as Chairman, obtaining a new ambulance, fire engine and water tanker for Eaton’s Neck. He also served on the NYC Board of Education for Aviation Schools.
After Lockheed, he began a storied career at Eastern Airlines, where he was twice cleared by the FBI to access Air Force One. He flew in the press plane cockpit during the Nixon Administration, an experience immortalized in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.
Tony was Eastern’s representative for the 1975 crash at JFK, which took 113 lives. This tragedy forever stayed with him, and reinforced his commitment to aircraft safety: it was always foremost in his mind that precious lives depended on his decisions. In 1983, he was promoted to Director in Miami. Even as the airline moved towards bankruptcy, Tony stood for quality and fair treatment of his staff while operating the only profitable division in the airline.
In 2006, he received the Charles Taylor award from the FAA, celebrating over 50 years of distinguished service in the aviation industry and retired one year later.
He was a gifted storyteller and for many years wrote columns for Airways and GSE magazines, and contributed his depth of technical knowledge to articles in Smithsonian Air & Space magazine.
Tony enjoyed membership in the Aircraft Engine Historical Society and presented at their annual conferences to his fellow aircraft enthusiasts. Tony was a New Yorker at heart, reading the NY Times daily and possessing incredible knowledge of NYC history. We will miss listening to the rich stories of his childhood peppered with historical facts and knowledge. We will treasure the memories of our family skiing trips and travel in the U.S and Canada. His passion for history, books and the arts will be forever with us. The hole he leaves as family patriarch is unfillable.
Tony leaves behind his son, Stephen Vasko, daughter in law Kirsten, granddaughters Mila and Natasha of Rye, NY, daughter Karen Vasko, son in law James Bowes and granddaughter Anya Bowes Vasko of Fort Collins, CO, sister Marie Vasko Keller, niece Marie Keller of Surry, NH, niece Julie Keller (John Barsoli), great nephews Gianni and Erik Barsoli, of NYC.
A private family memorial will be held in the NY area. Donations in Tony’s name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.
