KALUSA, John Walter, Jr.

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona February 21, 2003 John Walter Kalusa Jr., of Mesa. He was born in Chicago, IL on May 8, 1922, son of John Walter Kalusa and Martha Grzygowski. He served as an aerial-photographer in the South Pacific during WWII, returning to marry his neighborhood girlfriend, Bernice. Tired of Chicago winters, he moved to Los Angeles in 1962 and later retired to Mesa in 1985. Throughout his life his passion for aircraft was expressed through his hobby (obsession) of building model aircraft out of balsa wood. His collection of over 6000 models has been submitted to the Guiness Book of World Records and is on display at Embry Riddle University in Prescott. He was an active Docent at the Champlin Fighter Museum and also volunteered time with Mesa Southwestern Museum and SWAT. He was a devote Catholic. He is survived by his daughter, three sons, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held 2 PM, Saturday, February 22 at Valley of the Sun Mortuary, 10940 Chandler Heights Rd., Chandler. A scholarship fund is being established, Embry Riddle University in Prescott (attn: Jim Knapp) Courtesy of Pat Wilson.