Paul Yahsko

Paul Yashko died September 6, 2005 of cancer of the
stomach. Born July 6, 1920 in Jerome, PA, he was the
10th of 14 children born to Nikolai and Anna Yasko. He
grew up in Conemaugh and Johnstown, PA. After
graduating from high school, he joined the Civilian
Conservation Corps, where one of the projects he
worked on was Camp David. At the outbreak of WWII, he
worked as a welder in the Baltimore shipyards, then
joined the Army Air Corps. He initially served with
the 8th Air Force in England, but was later selected
for a reconnaissance photography unit at Poltava Air
Base in the Soviet Union.
He married Ruth Evans February 22, 1946. They were
later divorced. He studied pre-med and received a
bachelors degree at the University of Utah and a
masters degree in Russian at the University of
California at Berkeley. He worked for the CIA’s
foreign language and scientific intelligence divisions
in Washington, D.C. Returning to school, he earned a
degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young
University.
He worked for the National Bureau of Standards in
Boulder, CO, and later for Boeing Aircraft &
Aeronautics where he worked on the Saturn V project at
Cape Kennedy. He continued to work as an electronics
engineer in the aerospace industry at Collins Radio in
Cedar Rapids, IA, Wright Patterson Air Force Base in
Fairborn, OH, and at Hill Air Force Base and Morton
Thiokol in Ogden, UT.
Following retirement, he moved to Florida, but had
recently returned to Utah and was living with his
daughter in Lehi at the time of his death. Paul was a
member of Mensa and will be remembered for his love of
knowledge and learning, his mechanical and linguistic
skills, and his generosity.
He is survived by his children Nancy Strode (Mike),
Angela Roberts (Bill), Paula Davis (Craig), and Greg
Yashko (Cindy), his 21 grandchildren and 17
great-grandchildren, and his sister Anna Cummings. He
was preceded in death by his daughter Sonya Reid
Vancil.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 10,
at Noon at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 East Center,
Logan, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to services
beginning at 11:00 AM. Interment will be in the Logan
City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family
at www.allenmortuaries.net