Daniel “Danny” Michael Sanko

Daniel M. "Danny" Sanko ,79, of East Palestine, OH and, formerly of Aliquippa, passed away to the Field of Dreams on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was the son of the late Michael and Mary (Fedor) Sanko and was born January 16, 1947, in Sewickley.

He is survived by his wife, of 54 years, Sharyn Sanko, one daughter: Sunny Dillon and her husband Donald, grandchildren; Faith Elizabeth and Dominic Edward Dillon, Xander Ian and Ivy Kathryn Stokes, Sierra Neville and her husband Aaron, Caleb Burks and his wife Kayla, great-grandchildren; Ezekiel and Kimberly Rose Neville, Forrest, Theodore Shepherd Berks and his “Bonus Babies”; Christin, Maria, Sara, Troy, Shawn, Paige, Alli, Enzo, Regan, Kennedy and many more.

Dan was a 1964 graduate of Aliquippa High School. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1966. After he completed basic training, following that, the USAF sent him through Air Traffic Controller School. He spent time in the US before being sent to Vietnam to serve as an ATC in South Vietnam. He was awarded the Defense Matrious Service Medal along with the Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze service star awarded for his service and bravery during the Vietnam War. Dan was honorably discharged in 1969. While in Vietnam he was exposed to Agent Orange which caused Dan to experience numerous forms of cancers late in his life.

He met and married the love of his life, Sharon Klocke, in 1972. They enjoyed dancing. At age 25, Dan was invited by the Little Pirates, as a baseball hopeful and made the team and he worked out with the Pittsburgh Pirates for over 2 years. Dan was a very skilled and highly trained Air Traffic Controller, and he worked in many major airports in the United State and overseas, including Washington Center (Dulles Int Airport), Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, Youngstown International Airport, Khamis Mushayt Airport in Saudi Arabia, Latrobe Airport, and he also taught Terminal Air Traffic Controlling at the Community College of Beaver County. He returned to the FAA in 1998 and began employment at Harrisburg Airport followed by Erie Airport, and finally, Allegheny County, where he retired after 31 years of working at Lead Air Traffic Controller with the FAA. While serving as Terminal Air Traffic Controller at the Youngstown International Airport, Dan was responsible for taking control of 20 various and different commercial and private aircraft and directing them to land safely in Youngstown, on September 11, 2001, within 20 minutes of the nationwide US airspace closure.

More than anything Dan loved his family, his wife Sharon, daughter, Sunny and his grandchildren. In his spare time, he loved driving his Corvette and especially if he was driving down to the Cigar Shoppe of Ellwood City, where he enjoyed talking to his friends, giving fatherly advice, talking about and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and his favorite, the Pittsburgh Pirates, His childhood was spent growing up attending games and practices at Forbes Field and meeting his hero, Roberto Clemente. Danny said Roberto "was one of the most decent, very generous, and honest man he had ever known" and it broke Danny's heart when he was told the news of Clemente's death, when his airplane crashed off the cost of Puerto Rico while on a humanitarian aid fight to Nicaragua, on December 31, 1972.

He was preceded in death by 2 daughters; Tiffanie Lynn Stokes, Kimberly Rae Burks, and his brother; John Gary Sanko and Michael Alexander Sanko and one sister-in-law; Jane Sanko.

The family would like to express their deep gratitude to their VA Team and our hospice nurse Karrie.

The family will receive friends on on Monday, June 15, 2026 from 4:00PM-8:00PM at Turner-Hyde Funeral Home in Ellwood City. Graveside Services will be held Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville with Military Honors.

Arrangements entrusted to the Turner-Hyde Funeral Home located at 6th and Park in Ellwood City