Isaac B. Colo, 92
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Isaac Bernard Colo, 92, of Medway, formerly of North Adams, died on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015.
Born in Readsboro, Vt., the only son of Arduino and Elzina LaPan Colo, he was educated in local schools, but left after his second year of high school to join the Army Air Forces. He settled in North Adams after leaving the service in 1945.
A veteran of World War II, he was trained as a radio operator on B-24 Bombers. He served in the 308th Bombardment group, 14th Air Force, as a member of the Flying Tigers air group in the Pacific theater, under the direction of Gen. Claire Lee Chennault. He and the crew of The Manhattan Maiden B-24 flew 42 combat missions over the Himalayas from India ("the Hump"), transporting needed supplies and gasoline and bombing enemy installations in occupied China and in attacking enemy shipping in the China Sea.
His missions were carried out in spite of the dangers of treacherous weather over notoriously rugged terrain. He and his fellow crewmembers survived several crashes in the Himalayas.
He attained the rank of technical sergeant, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, the China Defensive medal, and many other distinguished awards.
Mr. Colo was the last surviving member of his flight crew.
He was employed at the former General Electric in Pittsfield, first in the Transformer Division and finally transferring to the Naval Ordnance division, where he worked for 37 years on the testing and design of the guidance systems for the Polaris, Trident and Poseidon submarine missiles.
His former first wife, Angelina Jammallo Colo, died in October 2002.
His wife of 32 years, the former Virginia Roark, died in September 2010.
He leaves his son, Bernard G. Colo and his wife, Elizabeth, of Medway; two sisters, Mary Jane Scarbeau and Rena Livesey, both of Bowling Green, Ky.; and a grandson, Marc Colo and his wife, Olga, of Natick.
His sisters Norien Corigliano, Angela Senecal and Theresa Brothers predeceased him.
FUNERAL NOTICE - A Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Colo will be celebrated Saturday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. at St. Joachim's Church in Readsboro. Burial will be in the spring in Readsboro Village Cemetery.
A calling hour will be held Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 at Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital in care of the funeral home.