OBITUARY

Joan Lesnikowski, Capt, USAF (Ret) was born 11 January 1935 in Amsterdam, New York, the daughter of Steven and Harriet (Norman) Lesnikowski. She died March 7, 2014, age 79, in Rocklin, California.

Joan joined the US Air Force upon graduation from High School. As an A2C in 1963, she was accepted into Class 63-D of Officer Candidate School and received her commission as 2nd Lieutenant in June 1963. Joan retired in January 1975 with the rank of Captain. She served from December 1954 to January 1975 and was stationed at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam from January 1971 to December 1971 working as a Transportation Officer with the 14th Aerial Port.

Joan was buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery on April 2, 2014, with military honors and escorted by Patriot Guard Riders.

Joan (Jodi) “Ski” Lesnikowski graduated with Class 63-D, the last class of Officer Candidate School. She was the Guidon Bearer for her class and the guidon pennant remained in her possession after graduation. In later years she was pleased to discover that she still had the pennant in a box and told her friend Janiece Cummins that she was proud of having been the Guidon Bearer of Class 63-D.

After Jodi’s death on March 7, 2014, Janiece was executrix of her estate. She contacted Jerry Nolan to let him know that the pennant was among Jodi’s effects and offered to return it to the 63rd OCS Wing Assn. Fred Holmes, as Historian, accepted the project to obtain and deliver the pennant. After a US Post Office hiccup between California and Texas, the pennant arrived in early May. Fred then arranged with a local shop to have the pennant mounted in a wooden frame under glass. Following that, it was a simple matter to hand carry it to the 2015 Reunion in Montgomery. The official presentation was made by Jim Clutter, 63rd OCS Vice Wing Commander to OTS Commander Col Scott M Lockwood.