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CORTLAND -- Milan Jankuj, 88, passed away Thursday, July 2, 2026, at University Hospital, Ravenna. He lived a life forged in courage, sharpened by adversity and defined by an unyielding love for freedom, family and the American Dream.
Milan was born in the small village of Vrbina, Czechoslovakia, on April 26, 1938, to Frantisek and Frantiska Jankuj, on the eve of WWII. As a child, he witnessed the atrocities of his country being invaded by German and later Russian occupiers. Rather than accept a life behind the Iron Curtain, he devised a daring escape plan fueled by Voice of America broadcasts. Setting out solo when he was only 16 years old, his quick wit, planning and stealthy tactics, along with his mother's spirit and God, were with him as he attempted to escape through the heavily guarded communist border. He successfully breached three patrolled fence lines between Czechoslovakia and West Germany. Despite a guard detecting him, pointing his gun at him and ordering him to stop, he continued to sprint towards freedom and miraculously escaped the clutches of communism. After residing in a refugee camp for over a year, he sailed into New York Harbor in 1956, stepping onto American soil as a man determined to repay the gift of liberty with a life well lived.
Ambitious and intrepid, he served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959. Upon completing his enlistment, he settled in Cleveland, where he met the love of his life, Irene Kabat. They wed Oct. 17, 1964, and built a marriage that would endure, beautifully, for 61 years. Together they raised five children who would carry forward his values of hard work, education, service and patriotism.
Milan embodied the American Dream. Always thirsting for knowledge and adventure, he was an avid skydiver in the 1960s with over 200 jumps. He became an executive pilot and pilot instructor in the 1960s and maintained his fascination with aviation throughout his life. He valued independence and self-reliance and was a natural problem-solver who thrived on challenges others called impossible. He coupled that with an unmatched work ethic to take on projects that many dismissed as hopeless. He taught himself home improvement skills and masterfully remodeled two homes. He used those same skills and determination to renovate and revitalize the laundromat and car wash in Kinsman, which the family successfully owned and operated from 1981 to 1993. He was a skilled industrial electrician for over 30 years and retired from Warren Consolidated Industries in 2005.
He was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed hunting, firearms and boating, as well as traveling, throughout his life. He was a natural at polka dancing and loved to take his wife to Kuzman's in Girard. He was quick-witted with a dry sense of humor and savored the simple pleasures in life, like a good poppyseed roll.
Milan's story is one of defiance against oppression, relentless self-improvement and profound love for his family and adopted homeland. He was a patriot who deeply appreciated all of the opportunities this country offered him. He lived fully, worked honestly and left behind a legacy of courage and character that will continue to inspire for generations. He had a passion for lifelong learning and inspired his children to pursue higher education and career advancement.
Of his many accomplishments, his greatest achievement was raising five dedicated, patriotic children who all earned college degrees and gave back to his chosen country by serving in the U.S. military, law enforcement or social services. A hero, teacher and idol to his family, he is greatly respected and will be deeply missed, forever remembered and carried in the hearts of his wife, children, grandchildren and others who knew him.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Irene Jankuj; his children, Milan (Susanne) Jankuj of Southington, Alice (Dale) Coffman of Waynesville, Gregory (Kirsten) Jankuj of Macedonia, Michael (Lyn) Jankuj of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Cynthia (Bryan) Binko of Garrettsville; and his seven grandchildren, Dale, Kathryn and Cameron Coffman, Evan and Max Jankuj, and Beau and Booker Binko.
Family and friends may gather for a celebration of life visitation 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Vodrazka Golubski Deliberato Funeral Care, 6505 Brecksville Road, Independence, where a funeral service will begin immediately after visitation.
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