Colonel Gerald Benjamin Lasco

Published 10:22 am Friday, January 3, 2025

Colonel Gerald Benjamin Lasco passed away peacefully after almost 91 happy years of life.

Jerry was the son of Veronica and Benjamin Lasco from Lorain, Ohio.  He is survived by his wife Dorothy and three wonderful children, Heidi Towns, Kathleen Hutchinson, and Gerald Lasco, Jr., and five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Jerry graduated from Miami University of Oxford, Ohi,o and received his master’s degree from Webster University at St. Louis, Missouri.

He then spent 27 exciting years in the United States Air Force proudly serving as a pilot.  Although Jerry had many challenging and interesting assignments, his most interesting assignment was while he was Commander of the Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on Guam.  They were called the Typhoon Chasers.  They flew missions into tropical storms and typhoons in the Pacific Ocean. His crews tracked these storms, penetrated the wall cloud, and entered the eye of the storm where they learned the necessary data that allowed meteorologists to forecast the direction and severity of the storm.  This gave critical information to Pacific Islanders, and our Pacific Fleet so ships could steer away from the storm and also informed our Air Base Squadrons when it was necessary to evacuate their aircraft.

After retirement, he taught flying at Flight Safety International in San Antonio, TX.

It has to be said that Jerry loved life.  He was never without a good book.  He especially enjoyed poetry by Rudyard Kipling and always responded to a request to recite Kipling’s Gunga Din.  He also loved to cook, play golf, and tennis and loved to travel.

Jerry adored his wife, Dorothy, they celebrated 65 years of marriage.  He has left us with many happy memories.

Now his soul will be joined with the souls of his parents and sisters, Evelyn, Lois, and Carol.

An online guest register is available at www.mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com

McFarland Funeral Chapel

Tryon