Obituary: A funeral Mass for Lester J. Cooling, 88, will | be celebrated at 11am Thursday, at St. Edna Catholic Church, 2525 North Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. Born December 20, 1914, in Waterloo, Iowa, he died Sunday, June 29, 2003, at Northwest Community Healthcare Center. Entombment will be in All Saints Mausoleum. Lester grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, graduated from Loras College, and joined the Army-Air Corps as a pilot and flight instructor in 1942. He was later assigned to the U.S. Air Transport Command and was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. At the end of World War II, he joined TWA as an international pilot. He joined the FAA as a Principal Operations Inspector, serving in South Bend, St. Louis and Kansas City before retiring from the Great lakes Regional Office after more than 50 years of federal service. Lester held a current FAA Flight Instructor's Certificate, and his career is recognized on the Wall of Fame at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. He was also active in the St. Edna parish, serving as an usher for the 815am Mass, and was a wildlife supporter at lake Arlington. He was the beloved husband of the late Bernadine (nee Stumm) for 59 years: devoted father of Jim (Ann) Cooling of Kansas City, Missouri; Judy (Walt) Kuhlmann of St. Louis, Tom (Terri) Cooling of Southbury, Connecticut; Carol (Chip) Cooling-Kopp of Arlington Heights and Kim (Andy) Roberts of Memphis, Tennessee; loving grandfather of Keith and Kristi Kuhlmann; Sara, Lisa Catherine and James Cooling; Jason and Melissa Cooling; and Lauren, Olivia, Abbigayle and Ethan Roberts; loved brother of the late Ariel and Agnes; fond brother-in-law of Marian Wagner and Arlette Murray, both of Dubuque; uncle of Laurie Lynch of Dubuque; and loved by many nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his faithful St. Bernard, Yogi. Visitation will be from 3-9pm Wednesday, at the Glueckert Funeral Home from 10am until the time of Mass on Thursday, at the church. If desired, memorials may be made to the St. Edna Catholic Church.