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Carl William Strombitski was born March 11, 1948, in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada and passed peacefully on October 22, 2023, in Durant, Oklahoma.
Carl was the son of Jessie Louise (Oakes) Strombitski and John William Strombitski. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Mary Ann (Stephenson) Strombitski, of Durant; daughter, Carla (Strombitski) Nejad and husband, Sam of Lone Tree, Colorado; brother Terrence John Strombitski and wife Marianne of Gallitin, Tennessee; a brother-in-law David Stephenson and wife Rita, nieces Catherine Schuster and Terrianne Medina along with several great nieces and a great nephew.
He attended Morningside High School (Inglewood, California) and at the age of 17 gained permission to enlist in the US Navy during the Vietnam War. After his time in the service, he earned his GED and became a second-generation airman, graduating from Spartan School of Aeronautics, Jenks, Oklahoma. His love of flight took several forms, earning designations of Private, Commercial, Ground, Instrument, Certified Flight Instructor, and Instructor of Certified Flight Instructors. He logged over 5,000 hours over his career. Carl helped form and build three commercial commuter airlines— Golden State Airlines, Maui Air and Pacific Coast Airlines.
As a young man, he was a surfer and took part in the Jesus revolution. He came to a saving faith on a California beach when approached by Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. He traveled to more than 30 countries and learned some languages from each.
He met Mary Ann on a plane flight out of Washington D.C. They married the following year on August 24, 1991, at the First Presbyterian Church in McAlester, Oklahoma. Carl was a man of vision, passion, quick humor, tenacity, and quiet faith. The sky and life held limitless possibilities for him. He instilled these qualities in his daughter. Beyond training scores of pilots, later in life Carl became a homeschool father.
A celebration of Carl Strombitski’s life will be held at 4:00 PM Friday, October 27, 2023, at Brown’s Funeral Service Chapel. Pastor Lee Armstrong will officiate. Honorary pallbearers include John Rittenhouse, Jimmy Carter, Mary Patton, Jacob Patton, and Ethan Patton.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Victory Life (Hands of Hope) Food Bank, Durant, Oklahoma. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.brownsfuneralservice.com.
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