John Lesko

John Lesko peacefully passed away on Sunday, January 11th, 2026, in High Point, NC, surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Lesko; his brother, Peter Lesko; his sister, Bernie Kirch; his children, Jack (Holly) Lesko, Jim (Kim) Lesko, and Maria (Mike) Maul; his grandchildren, Christinia Maul, Juliana Maul, Nick (Amy) Maul, Sam (Lindsay) Lesko, and Teig Lesko; and his great-grandchildren, Patrick Maul and Paige Maul. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mildred Lesko; his father, John Lesko; his brothers, Joe Lesko, Mike Lesko, and Jim Lesko; and his sister, Barbara Lesko. John attended St. Wendelin’s grade school and high school. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1955 and served with distinction until 1959. During nearly four years of service, he achieved the rank of Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class. As an Aviation Electronics Technician, he maintained and repaired advanced radar, navigation, and communication systems aboard naval aircraft, gaining expertise that would shape his professional life. After his service in the US Navy, he attended the University of Pittsburgh, PA, where he earned an Electrical Engineering degree in 1962. Following graduation, John married his wife of 63 years, Mary Ann, and moved to Maryland, where he began his career at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He worked there until 2004. His engineering work involved planning, designing, and building satellite systems for projects such as Nimbus, Earth Resources Technology, the Hubble Space Telescope, and Earth Observation Satellites. He also worked in the Aeronomy and Meteorology Divisions and the Engineering Division. John’s contributions to these programs helped save lives through weather warnings and search-and-rescue, protected public health by supporting the ozone layer treaty, contributed to food security through agricultural monitoring, and advanced human knowledge of both Earth and the universe. These contributions continue to benefit society today through ongoing satellite operations and programs. In 1994, John received one of NASA's most prestigious honors, the Silver Snoopy Award, for his role in the historic Hubble repair mission. The Silver Snoopy is unique among NASA awards because it is personally presented by astronauts to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to human spaceflight safety or mission success. In 2004, John and Mary Ann retired to Lake Norman, NC, and are now residents at Pennybyrn Retirement Community in High Point, NC. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, January 20 from 10:00-11:00 AM with a service following at 11:00 AM at St. Therese Catholic Church, Mooresville. Burial will follow the service at 2:30 PM at Salisbury National Cemetery. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Mooresville, is serving the Lesko family. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

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John Lesko

January 11, 2026