William (Jocko) Senko |
| Posted 2021-12-30 by mhenderson |
| Published by Yuma Sun on Dec. 22, 2021 - Yuma, Arizona - William "Jocko " Senko, 94, of Yuma, Arizona, breathed his last on 30 September 2021. He was born to parents John Senko and Emily (Hnizdo) Senko, on 26 August, 1927, in Whitestone, Queens, New York. After attending Woodrow Wilson High School, in 1946 Senko was drafted into the U. S. Army and was enrolled in Officer Candidate School. Because of a reduction of forces in 1947, he was demobilized, and given a Victory Medal and a Good Conduct Medal, and recommended for further service. He enrolled in the Army Reserves. Back in New York, Jocko got a job in a BSA motorcycle shop, where he had an offer to go west for a job opportunity in Yuma, Arizona, at a new motorcycle shop. Soon after, in 1951, he was drafted a second time and sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, eventually going to Germany with an outfit from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Honorably discharged in 1953, he was given an Army of Occupation Medal. While on active duty, and in the Reserves and National Guard, Senko worked as a Motorcycle and LT WEVH Mechanic and Military Police, for a total of nearly 29 years in the military. At the same time that he was in the Reserves and National Guard, he held a variety of other full-time civilian jobs, most notably driver and tester at the Yuma Proving Ground. He retired from the military in 1988, and from the Proving Ground in 1989. William enjoyed motorcycles. As a late teen, he worked as a motorcycle mechanic in an Indian Motorcycle shop in Harlem, New York. He got his nickname Jocko when he and another young mechanic were fooling around and chasing each other, ultimately hanging from the overhead sprinklers like monkeys. The boss shouted "Jocko, get down from there and go back to work." The nickname stuck. In addition to motorcycles, Jocko loved Volkswagens, Mercedes, guns, and airplanes. Because of Jocko's outgoing nature, he "never met a stranger," and this quality came in handy in sales jobs in Yuma, especially at Sears, and as the Yuma VW service manager. Jocko's art of mimicry and friendly nature made it easy for him to learn languages, including his parents' Czech and Russian, and the languages of neighbors, friends and employers, which included German, Polish, Italian and Spanish. Another of Jocko's passions was music, especially barbershop and choral singing. In 2014, Jocko was honored with a Presbytery of the Grand Canyon (PCUSA) Senior Service Award, for Service as Deacon, Elder, and Choir member, since 1956. Other honors include the Yule Candle Award, Yuma First Presbyterian Church, December 24, 2014. Jocko met Frankie Mae Anderson in 1948. They were married in 1951 in Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Together they raised three children in Yuma: Bonnie Raye, Laurie Gail, and David William Senko. A fourth child, Faith Wilhelmina, died in infancy. Frankie and Jocko divorced in 1981, but stayed connected with family, friends and neighbors. In 1993, Jocko met Lucy Lee Boal, with whom he had several common interests. They were married in 2005, in Yuma, Arizona, and throughout the years their blended families remained friendly. Together Jocko and Lucy spent their summers in the mountains of Idaho, transporting people and shuttling vehicles for whitewater raft enthusiasts on the Salmon River. After the summer season of 2017, they retired from this work, due to advancing age and Jocko's onset of vascular dementia, similar in symptoms to Alzheimer's Disease. William is survived by wife Lucy Boal; Senko daughters Bonnie Raye, Laurie Gail, (Brad Brown), son David William Senko, (Helen V Spencer); Senko granddaughters Kristine N, Megan B Samson (Andrew J Samson), Kaitlin J, Samantha J, Abigail B, Polly C, and grandson Daniel W Senko; as well as great granddaughters Alice C Samson and Isla E Samson, great grandsons Joshua E Samson and Caleb E Samson; plus numerous nieces and nephews. William was preceded in death by his parents John and Emily (Hnizdo) Senko; siblings Helen (Senko) Olivier, Andrew, John Jr, Robert, Walter; daughter Faith Wilhelmina; and former spouse, the mother of his children, Frankie Mae Anderson. Memorial Service will be at First Presbyterian Church, 598 S 7th Ave, Yuma, AZ at 2:00 PM on December 27, 2021. Reception to follow in the church fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, people may donate to their preferred charity, or to Hospice of Yuma, the Alzheimer's Association, Yuma First Presbyterian Church, Science Care, Help Heal Veterans, Yuma Fire Department Pipe and Drum Corps, or the American Legion, H. H. Donkersley, AZ Post 19. To share condolences online, visit William's obituary on BeyondTheDash.com. |
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