Otto Jerry Banchak, age 93, of Rapid River, died Friday evening May 13, 2011, at the Christian Park Village in Escanaba.
Otto was born March 23, 1918, in Algonquin, Illinois, the son of Paul and Katryn (Maitan) Banchak. He attended Algonquin Grade School and graduated from Dundee High School in 1936, and was a star football player. Otto joined the United States Navy on January 9, 1942, serving as an aviation machinist, stationed at U.S. bases in Illinois, Michigan and Florida. He then served on the U.S.S. Rendova in Europe, Africa and the Philippines. He was proud of his