Harold “Hank” Marcotte, Lt. Col, USAF Retired, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at Grossmont Hospital surrounded by his family. Hank, the youngest of 5 children, was born on a farm in rural Kansas on July 30, 1937 to Alphonse Marcotte and Edna Chavey Marcotte. After living in a boxcar for a few months while his dad was working on a pipeline, the family moved to Salina, Kansas. In elementary school he caddied with his older brother at the Salina Golf Course where he learned to play and love golf at an early age. While at Sacred Heart High School, Hank was an All-State basketball player for 2 years and went to Regis College in Denver on a basketball scholarship.
While home from Regis College during a summer break, Hank met Jean, a year round student nurse at Marymount College, at a young adult square dance in Salina and they dated occasionally while in college. After Hank graduated in 1960 with a BS in Business Administration and Jean completed nursing school, Jean went to CA to work as an RN; Hank enlisted in the US Air Force. After attending Officer Training School in 1962, he was commissioned 2nd Lt. and went to his first assignment at Myrtle Beach AFB in South Carolina during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Hank and Jean continued to communicate by mail and see each other occasionally for about 5 years, part of which Hank was stationed at Thule, Greenland Air Defense Command where he met the King of Denmark. Hank later served as an Armed Forces Courier at McGuire AFB in New Jersey when Jean moved to New York to work in a VA hospital. Hank met her at the airport and they started dating. They were married within a year, just before Hank was assigned to Charleston, AFB in South Carolina, where Andrea and Brenda were born. In 1969, he entered the procurement field with 2 assignments at Chanute AFB in IL from 1969-71 where David was born and 1974-77 where Sarah was born and at Randolph AFB in San Antonio, TX from 1971-74. From 1977-80, Hank served at the Defense Contract Administration Region –NY and then served at Vandenberg AFB in California at the Western Space and Missile Center as chief of the contracts division until he retired in 1983. In July 1984, Hank and his family moved to San Diego where he worked for General Dynamics, Qualcomm, and Ericsson until he retired for good in 2002.
Hank was an active member of Our Lady of Grace Church and was a charter member of the Francis Cabrini Council of the Knights of Columbus at OLG. He enjoyed doing volunteer work for the Knights as well as delivering food for Meals on Wheels for 11+ years. Along with helping others, Hank enjoyed spending time with family, playing cards, traveling, and eating ice cream. Hank was a great husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend to many. He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Mark Marcotte and Marjorie Baughman. Hank is survived by his brother, Conrad Marcotte; sister, Regis Duggan; wife, Jean; children Andrea (Johnny) Crankshaw, Brenda (Jason) Contreras, David Marcotte, and Sarah (John) Newlon; and grandchildren Jeffrey and Julia Nellis and Evan and Paige Newlon, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. His integrity, quiet strength, willingness to help, silliness, and hugs are among the many things Hank will be missed for. We know Hank was greeted in heaven with a “Well done, well done, my good and faithful one. Welcome to the place you belong.”
Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Grace Church in El Cajon on Wednesday, May 15th. Rosary services will be at 12:30 followed by a funeral mass and reception. Burial will be on May 16th at Miramar National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Gary Sinise Foundation, Wounded Warriors, or Saint Vincent de Paul Villages.
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