John Womack Sr.

John Walter Womack Sr., formerly of Iola, died on Thursday, June 6, 2013, in Merriam. 
He was born on Dec. 2, 1924, to Francis “Fritz” and Doris (Park) Womack. He married Elizabeth Ann Sanden on Jan. 20, 1949. She preceded him in death on Dec. 1, 1995. He later married Carol Platt.
Out of this union were born six children. Survivors include his children, Doug Womack and wife Janette, Lawrence, Nancy and husband Bob McGrew, Parker, Colo., Steve Womack and wife Annette, Iola, and Anita and husband John Rowe, Mound City; eight grandchildren and one great-grandson; a sister, Carolyn Isaac and husband Larry, Lamar, Mo.
He was preceded in death by a son, Johnny Womack Jr., in 2011, who is survived by Evelyn Thohoff, and a daughter, Mary Ann Womack, who died as an infant; his sisters, Doris Jackman, Betty Murray; and a brother Jack Womack.
After attending the University of Kansas for a year, John joined the U.S. Navy as an aviator. He flew in the Korean War. He retired from the Navy Reserve in 1984 with rank of captain. John managed his father’s business, Fritz Auto Supply, Iola, for many years.
John was a proud member of the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars and American Legion. He was a member of the St. John’s Catholic Parish. He served as Allen County Civil Defense director in the 1960s. He was active in the Kansas Civil Air Patrol in the 1950s and 1960s, and was Boy Scout aviation merit badge counselor in Iola.
His father was one of the founding  members of the Wichita OX5 Aviation Pioneers Club and a barnstorming pilot. John was a judge and participant for many years at the annual Experimental Aviation Association Fly-In at Oshkosh, Wis. He helped to found the Staggerwing Aviation Museum in Tullahoma, Tenn. He was a member of a staggerwing biplane diamond formation flying team. He flew numerous models of jets in his Naval aviation career.
Cremation has taken place. There will be a memorial service at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Highland Cemetery, Iola. It will be officiated by Deacon Ted Stahl of St. John’s Catholic Church.