Born: June 25, 1921, Yonkers, New York
Died: August 3, 2010, Tempe, Arizona
Education: Gorton High School, Yonkers, New York
Degree in Ikebana, Japanese Floral Arranging, Tokyo, Japan
Associate Degree, Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona
Married: Col. Adolph Karl Koeck, St. Joseph Catholic Church,
Yonkers, New York
March 3 , 1942
Occupation: Full Time Wife and Mother,
Honorary President of the Commissioned Officers Wives Clubs,
and the Noncommissioned Officers Wives Clubs at
Shepherd Air Force Base and Williams Air Force Base
Elections Officer in Tempe
Children: Joanne Koeck Giffard
Nelson Robert Koeck
Evan Richard Koeck
Grandchildren: Kimberly Ann Giffard Remo, M.D., FACS
William Karl Koeck, M.D.
Kenneth Jay Giffard
Bryan Christopher Giffard
Robert Clayton Koeck
Mary Kate Koeck Brown
Closing
{ Part 1 }
Evelyn Joanne Aker Koeck was born in Yonkers, New York, on June 25, 1921. Truthfully, Evelyn was the most spirited and the youngest child in her family. She shared her early life with her sisters Margaret, Mary, Irene, and Eunice, and also her brothers John and Edward. Her father Nelson Jay Aker once was a teacher who taught in the country area of New York, and he was related to Vice President Tompkins under President Monroe. Later on, he moved to New York City, where he owned and ran a grocery store on 187 Ashburton Avenue in Yonkers. They sold “Good Groceries at the Right Prices,” but they did not sell beer. Hannah Aker, Evelyn’s mother, on the other hand, did not work outside her home. As the devoted mother of seven children, she spent her entire life caring for her family. It was in County Cork, Ireland, that this spirited red-headed mother was born, and she immigrated to the United States as a young adult. Hannah with her limited eyesight hand sewed the most elaborate clothes for Evelyn, as can be seen in numerous photos of Evelyn as a child. When cloth was not available, Hannah would make dresses out of tablecloths, and Evelyn inherited this gift from her mother. In addition, Hannah was a creative cook, who learned early in her marriage how to create meatless dinners to serve her vegetarian husband.
As a child, Evelyn truly was adventurous. Her niece Evelyn Parla, who was only ten months younger than her Aunt Evelyn, considered Evelyn to be her first playmate and buddy. They got in and out of mischief together like sisters. Evelyn taught her young niece how to swim, and how to be brave and independent. Usually, she also played with her nephew Mickey, the son of her oldest sister Margaret. For many years during the great Depression, Evelyn lived with her Mom, Dad, Margaret, and Mickey in their North Broadway condo which was very close to their grocery store and to the Hudson River.
While attending Gorton High School, Evelyn met Duffy (Adolph) Koeck, who when he was only three years old immigrated with his parents from Austria in 1924. Once the two met in the hallway at Gorton High, they became inseparable high school sweethearts. Duffy’s similar adventurous spirit greatly attracted Evelyn. After high school graduation, Duffy enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet at Turner Field in Georgia in August of 1941, while Evelyn worked in a New York telephone company.
Within eight months on March 3,1942, Duffy and Evelyn married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Yonkers. Duffy was soon to earn a lieutenant’s commission. Soon the joyful couple lived on base in Georgia, while Duffy trained pilots for World War II. Duffy was then transferred to Linz, Austria, to serve as a Provost Marshal and a pilot in a unit which enforced the surrender of Axis troops. On April 1,1947, Evelyn who was in labor for two days, gave birth to their first child, Joanne. Shortly after Joanne’s birth, Evelyn almost died due to an nearly fatal bacterial infection. Shortly thereafter, Joanne was baptized in Austria wearing a Baptismal dress handmade by Grandma Mitzi, Duffy’s mother, who still lived in Yonkers.
Thereafter, Duffy as part of the Berlin Airlift flew over one hundred missions delivering fuel, food, and many other supplies to the citizens of West Berlin, who were blocked by the Soviets from receiving needed materials. Following this tour, Evelyn, Duffy, and Joanne moved to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
{ Part 2 }
with mom near mount fuji
After this happy threesome finally reached Dayton, Ohio, Duffy checked into his new assignment, and Evelyn soon gave birth to their first son Nelson Robert. At this point in time the Koeck’s were able to more frequently visit their relatives in New York, and their relatives were also close enough to attend the children’s special Sacramental Events such as Baptisms and First Holy Communions, and Joanne’s dance recitals. Their basement was the accepted rehearsal spot for Joanne’s improv plays and dance reviews, which she insisted that her younger brother join wearing her costumes.
As was usually the case, every three or four years, Duffy again was transferred. This upcoming tour was to Japan. At first the family actually resided in a Japanese built home complete with Shoji room dividers, which in later years, Evelyn also added to their new more-western homes. Both children dressed in kimonos throughout this tour, and especially during Christmas their pictures were always taken in Japanese attire. Every weekend the entire family vacationed in downtown Tokyo, or near Mt. Fuji, or in Hiroshima. They visited the oldest shrine Osaka, or they simply joined the crowds during Japanese festivals where there were dragon processions and fireworks, and they listened to speeches delivered by the emperor. Wooden tea houses were the sites for Easter banquets, and the Gora Hotel was the location for our Japanese hot baths, and fishing.
Both children not only were exposed to the social life of the Japanese, but Evelyn who was a devoted Catholic, was always determined that they should be educated in Catholic schools. Off-base in downtown Tokyo, Joanne attended the all-girl International School of the Sacred Heart. This school only accepted a designated percentage of every nationality into their programs. The second language there was French, and their chapel was once the bedroom of the Empress Michiko. Likewise, Nelson attended a similar all- boys school, St. Mary’s School for Boys.
Evelyn employed a Japanese nanny by the name of Atsuko, who stayed with the family living in a bedroom right next to the bedroom shared by Joanne and Nelson. Both children loved this new member of the household, because this gave them a measure of freedom. They would check in with Atsuko, and soon it became easier to explore without supervision. On their own, they traversed through water tunnels and also the Japanese- only mini stores on the outskirts of the base. Of course this all ended when one day Atsuko followed the children during one of their adventures.
Curiously, during her spare time Evelyn, who was a total vegetarian, cooked traditional Japanese non-vegetarian dishes, which usually included local fish and many shark delights. In addition, Evelyn earned a degree in Ikebana, Japanese flower arranging, which was a skill that she utilized throughout her lifetime. Toward the end of this tour in Japan, Evelyn gave birth to her second son, Evan Richard, who very much resembled Duffy.
{ Part 3 }
Of course, Washington D.C. was to Duffy and Evelyn a total treat with museums, theatres, historical sites, and outdoor symphonies to enjoy with the children. Whenever parent committees for dance and school, or the Officers’ Wives Club activities left the weekends open, Evelyn and Duffy would bring the children on a new adventure. Being so much closer to family relatives in New York, Evelyn also regularly planned holiday visits to see Duffy’s mother, Mitzi, and her own sisters and brothers.
Duffy’s diligent work at the Pentagon resulted in a well-earned promotion to Colonel and an assignment to the Seventh Air Force, Office of Planning. Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii was his next venture. Traveling by car across the United States to San Francisco with three children was quite an ordeal for Evelyn, who had to constantly console Joanne, a totally sad teenager, who would now never be able to join the Washington School of Ballet. After a few days in San Francisco, the Koeck family flew to Honolulu, which to most people would be a dream come true.
What did Evelyn, the Devoted Mother of the Year do? She in a few weeks enrolled Joanne into the best dance school on the island of Oahu, the Reicho Oda School of Dance. This brought joy to Joanne’s heart, and in no time at all she was also teaching younger dance students, and dancing at the Waikiki Shell. That summer she was delighted to be dancing in a workshop to tunes of “Westside Story.” Thereafter, Evelyn spent a significant time driving her daughter to dance events, debates, and extemporaneous speech finals. In Evelyn’s free time, she began taking instructions in hula dancing, which was always a highlight for her gatherings at her Hawaiian parties on the base. Surfing with Duffy, Nelson, and sometimes Joanne soon entered the picture, when the family was not traveling to the outer islands for adventure.
{ Part 4 }
After four years, the military again transferred Duffy to San Antonio, Texas, to be the Director of Operations Services for Air Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base. Then he was transferred to be the Wing Commander of the Joint United States/German Pilot Training and Helicopter School at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. Thereafter when the Wing Commander at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona was suspected of being involved in a wife swapping scheme, Duffy was once more transferred to replace him. Through all these tours, Evelyn attended weekly Officer Wives’ Club meetings as she was always planning numerous events such as festivals, and Bridge and Bingo gatherings. As the wife of the Wing Commander both at Sheppard Air Force Base and at Williams Air Force Base, Evelyn was the honorary president of the Noncommissioned Officers Wives Club and the Commissioned Officers Wives Club. Thus, it was also Evelyn’s responsibility to acquaint the new wives, including the German officers’ wives, with the standard customs and courtesies on the base. During her spare time, both she and Duffy entered sports car rallies, a hobby which had actually started in Japan.
Throughout this time Evelyn raised Evan, who was now an adolescent, supported Joanne who attended Loretto Heights College in Denver, never missing a Parents’ Day Meeting there, and assisted Nelson in his high school activities and also his college applications. In June of 1969, Joanne married Lt. Ken Giffard, a graduate of the Air Force Academy. Evelyn planned their entire wedding, which was held at Williams Air Force Base, directly after she attended Joanne’s college graduation in Denver and Ken’s graduation in Colorado Springs. Never did she show even one sign of exhaustion throughout these ceremonies as she dedicated herself to bringing happiness to all.
When Duffy retired after thirty years of service to the Air Force, this couple bought a magnificent home in Tempe, Arizona. Evelyn became an elections officer, and she was a tremendously active member of the Resurrection Catholic Church Parish. In no time at all, both Evelyn and Duffy energetically enrolled in full-time college courses earning degrees. Together they also traveled to many areas. Essentially, they loved visiting foreign countries, relatives and friends in other states, and consistently they attended their grandchildren’s Baptisms, First Holy Communions, Confirmations, and ,of course, elementary school and high school graduations. Often they would travel with the grandchildren to fun-filled places like Disneyland, or nature reserves like the Grand Canyon in their very large motor home. They joyously celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary at home with friends and family.
Early in the morning of September 28,1992, Joanne received a phone call from her Mom sharing the saddest of news that Duffy had suddenly died of an aneurysm. When Joanne stepped off the plane in Phoenix that afternoon stricken with grief, she greatly feared seeing her mother because she knew that her Mom would be too weak to live without her Dad. To Joanne’s amazement, Evelyn was composed and strong. She was called to action, because Evelyn knew that her family needed her support. Duffy’s funeral was totally memorable and beautiful, and all of us saw how remarkable Evelyn was.
{ Part 5 }
As Evelyn’s life continued, she traveled frequently. Nelson and his wife Debbie had three children William, Robert, and Mary Kate. William, Nelson’s oldest child, who is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Texas, remembers O’Ma, his grandmother, always grabbing his hand during the special parts of the Mass when they visited the Catholic Church in Texas. Joanne’s three children Kimberly, Kenneth Jay, and Bryan Christopher were likewise touched by Evelyn’s many kindnesses. Kimberly Ann, who is also a general surgeon in robotics, is still deeply touched when she reflects on the trips with O’Ma, who escorted Kim to all of her medical school interviews around the country. Joanne was unable to accompany Kim, because during that period she was teaching full-time at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Carmichael, California. Kim was often her O’Ma’s companion on her fun-filled trips to Hawaii and Europe.
Usually, Evelyn would fly into Sacramento to attend’s Joanne’s yearly musical at St. John’s because she taught fifth grade there, and was also the Drama Director on the campus. Being together with her mother for this show, brought great happiness to her because there always was an extensive legacy of love and countless memories attached to the numerous musicals and ballet presentations, which her Mom had likewise supported when Joanne was performing.
On August 3, 2010, after one month of hospitalization, Evelyn died of a sudden illness. Her body was laid to rest with her beloved husband Duffy, at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Evelyn Joanne Aker Koeck is sorely missed by her family, genuine friends, and associates. Arianna, Chase, Claire, Cassidy, Elise, and Billy certainly missed the special companionship that their great grandmother would have shared with them. Evelyn was always known for her unconditional love and her unselfish work, adventurous spirit, strength, and creativity in numerous fields. Her children and many others call her blessed. Evelyn was a gardener, who planted the seeds of faith, truth, virtue, and happiness in the lives of her children.
Credits:
Author: Joanne Giffard
Photos:
Intro: Evelyn at age 17
Part 1: Evelyn with her mother in New York
Part 2: Christmas in Japan
Part 3: Evelyn and Duffy in Hawaii
Part 4: Evelyn at an Officers’ Wives Club event
Part 5: Evelyn and Duffy with their children and grandchildren
