Colonel Peter C. Palazzolo, USAF, Retired, was called home by the Lord on April 17, 2024. Peter Palazzolo was born on July 19, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois to Dominic Palazzolo and Stella Tornabene Palazzolo.
Peter graduated from Fenger High School in Chicago in 1943 and immediately volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet. He earned his wings at Hondo AAF, Texas as an aerial navigator in January 1944 and was awarded a commission as a 2nd Lt at 19 years of age. He then received further training in B-17s at Sioux City, Iowa. At the end of WWII, he returned to civilian life in Chicago after marrying Dorothy Spillers of Calhoun, Louisiana in 1945. At the start of the Korean war in 1950, he returned to active duty and served at Hickam AFB, HI from where he flew many C-54 airlift missions across the Pacific from the Far East to the West Coast. He then served in C-124s at Brookley AFB, Alabama and flew many missions to Europe, the Middle East, Greenland, and South America. He attained the rating of Master Navigator and accumulated over 5000 hours during his flying career. In 1956 he entered the Personnel career field and was assigned to West Palm Beach AFB, Florida. While there he earned a BS from Florida Southern College. In 1959 he was reassigned to Brookley AFB, Alabama as Commander of the advanced echelon, 1707th Flying Training Wing. In 1960 Pete was sent to Fuchu Air Station, Japan where he became Commander of the 1956th Communication Hqs squadron. Upon completion of that assignment, in 1963 he attended the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell, Alabama, where he concurrently attended a branch of George Washington University and earned a Master's degree. In 1964 he was assigned to Hqs Air Force Communications Services at Scott AFB, Illinois as the Director of Airmen Personnel. In 1969 he was assigned to the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Texas. He became the Director of Personnel Procurement and Retention. After attaining 30 years of service, Colonel Palazzolo retired from active duty in 1973.
In 1976, after 31 years of a wonderful marriage, his wife, Dorothy died. During those 31 years Dorothy and Pete had two daughters and the four of them became a typical military family, raising their children while enduring the rigors of moving to different locations in the U.S. and Japan. In 1978 Pete married Lela Ann Easterly and for 27 years they enjoyed retired life traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe. Their marital bliss ended upon Lela's death in 2005.
Colonel Palazzolo is survived by a daughter, Stella Cowan and husband, Dale of Mexico; daughter, Claudia Stevens and husband, Edward of Allen, Texas, grandson, Matthew Cowan and wife, Tracy, of Findlay, Ohio, granddaughter, Heather Stevens of Fairview, Texas, 2 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, April 22, 2024 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas. The service will also be live streamed at the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/colonel-peter-c-palazzolo-usaf-retired. The family will receive guests for a visitation from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday evening at the funeral home.
Interment with full military honors will be held at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.
Memorial contributions may be made in Peter’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.