Obituary of Steve George Kona

Cmdr. Steve George Kona, Sr., USN (retired), 88, of Hastings Lane, Elizabeth City, NC died Thursday evening, May 5, 2005. He was born December 18, 1916 in Whiting, Indiana and was a former resident of Virginia Beach, VA. Cmdr. Kona was the husband of Drusilla Moran Kona of Jacksonville, FL. and was the son of the late George and Elizabeth Dzurovcik Konya. He retired after a 27-year career with the US Navy as a pilot serving both in World War II and the Korean Conflict. As a fighter pilot during World War II, he served aboard the USS Enterprise with VF-10 and later aboard the USS Cabot with VF-31, part of Task Force 58. He briefly served on Guadalcanal and as part of the ‘Cactus Air Force,’ fought against the Japanese invasion that came through ‘Iron Bottom Sound.’ He was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. After his retirement from the military, Cmdr. Kona graduated from Old Dominion University, majoring in accounting. He taught accounting at Tidewater Community College for a number of years. He is deeply missed by his family and mourned by a grateful nation. Besides his wife, Cmdr. Kona is survived by five sons, Steve G. Kona, Jr. of Reno, NV, George Kona of Chesapeake, VA, Dr. John Kona and wife, Pam, of Williamsburg, VA and Elizabeth City, NC, Thomas Kona of Jacksonville, FL and Gerard Kona of Winchester, VA.; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Tuesday morning, June 14, 2005, at 9:00am in the Fort Myers’s Chapel, Arlington, VA. Burial with military honors will follow in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Twiford Funeral Home, 405 E. Church St., Elizabeth City, NC is assisting the Kona family. To sign the online guest register, please visit www.twifordfh.com.