John A. Paller

John A. Paller, a distinguished and decorated WWII pilot, one of the last remaining WWII pilots that battled the Axis over Europe, and the last member of his B-24 bomber crew of the 491st Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force, awarded France’s highest honor for military service - the Legion of Honor Medal- and a U.S. Air Force 22-year veteran, died at home in Flemington on April 15th. The cause was heart failure. He was 98 years old.

A native of the Chambersburg section of Trenton, NJ, John was the son of the late John and Mary Petro Paller. He enlisted at 19 in the U.S. Army Air Corps to fly. During WWII, John piloted 35 combat missions over Germany and France. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant during WWII and was awarded over a dozen medals for “valor and bravery” exhibited during the war. Recently the NJ Legislature honored him for his WWII service.

On February 11, 2020, John was honored by the Consulate General of France acknowledging his piloting of 35 combat missions in a B-24 Liberator Bomber to liberate France. In a public ceremony, he was awarded the prestigious Legion of Honor Medal, the highest distinction of military service that can be conferred by the French people.

His passion in life was flying and after completing Trenton High School, took the initiative to learn flying at a local flight school in exchange for work. After WWII, he flew for the Air Force being stationed in the Philippines (Clark AFB), South Carolina (Charleston AFB) and McGuire AFB, NJ (MATS). He retired as a Lt. Colonel from the Air Force and moved to Harbourton, NJ with his four children and first wife, Barbara Stache Paller. He reforested three acres of farmland, built and designed a new house and embarked on building hundreds of miniature models of airplanes, trains, and cars – another passion that continued until his death. He phased into civilian life full force becoming a general manager for Congoleum Industries in Hamilton, N.J.

Twenty years ago, John started an entirely new life by marrying his second wife, Diana Mack Paller, and moving to Raritan Township. His passion for flying never abated, meeting weekly with a dedicated group of pilots at Sky Manor Airport in Pittstown. His obsession with miniature model-building grew, he fostered the threatened local bluebird population by building bluebird houses and recording the nesting outcomes. John was active in the Sergeantsville VFW Memorial Post 8390 and St. Magdalen’s Roman Catholic Church in Flemington among other organizations.

In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his sister, Mary Lewis. Surviving John are his wife, Diana (Mack), children John Jr. (Chip), David, Virginia (Ginny) Dean, Thomas, and stepchildren Richard Pappalardo, Lori Pappalardo and David Pappalardo. Grandchildren Dain, Jennifer, Richard, Megan and 11 great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be 9 -11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20 at the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main St, Flemington, NJ 08822. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. at St. Magdalen Church, 105 Mine St. Flemington. Burial is to follow at the St. Magdalen Cemetery in Flemington.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in John’s name be made either to the Sergeantsville Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Memorial Post 8390, PO Box 500, Flemington, NJ 08822 or to The Right to Life, 242 Old New Brunswick Rd., #340, Piscataway, NJ 08854.

For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.