08/26/2026
David Mario Prokop
David Mario Prokop age 75 of Janesville, WI passed away on August 22, 2026. He was born in Milwaukee, WI on April 8, 1951 at St Francis Hospital, Milwaukee at 6:50 a.m. He was preceded in death by his mother, Theresa Jane Penkalski (Wierzelewski) who died February 2002. He was raised by Bella Mecca (Busha), his great-grandmother, till 10 years old along with Uncle Edward Mecca, Busha’s son. They loved him very much. Uncle Eddie died at 51 years old in 1960 of a heart attack. He was a car painter. In 1960 Theresa “Terry” married Robert Penkalski, a boilermaker. At age 11, David went to live with them. At age 15 he ran away and worked in a carnival in Nebraska. He ran the rocko-plane ride. Back home, David worked with Bob in New Mexico on the scaffolding above the smokestacks.
At age 17 he was back home in Milwaukee. He joined the Marine Corp., was stationed at San Diego, then transferred to Camp Pendleton in California and then transferred again to Camp LeJeune in North Carolina where he spent 6 months. At 18 years old, he volunteered to go to Vietnam. When he got to Okinawa, he worked in supply. Four months later he got his orders to go to Vietnam. When they landed in Da Nang, the airport was being shelled, and everyone was scared to death. The group was loaded into a transport truck and headed north to the DMZ where the base was. No rifles were issued to the new guys. They were told to stay in camp and the other Marines would look out for them. David stayed in supply. He had good duty. He had to go out in the bush once a month to search the perimeter. David wiped the Agent Orange dust off his footlocker each day. At night in his h***h (which was just a big tent) he heard some in-coming rockets being fired at us. One time, two tents down from his, a rocket hit and there was nothing left of it. Chow was open 24 hours a day. So never went hungry. Stayed there for 10 months. 1969-1970. One night walking back from a club, a mortar hit a couple of feet away from him. He got a concussion. He woke up 3 days later in sick bay with no idea of what happened. It knocked him down and shrapnel went over him. They said if he was 10 feet further away, he would be dead. In June 1970 he got his orders to go home. They him offered $3.000 to re-enlist, but he declined.
Got home and decided to live with his buddy, Harry Petropolous on 14th Street. After 2 years, David met Patricia Ann Diek on a blind date. Fell in love that first night. Six months later we got married on January 15, 1972. Everyone said it was too quick to get married. But here we are 54 years later and still in love. Had a good life.
David had lots of jobs. Jobs were plentiful – if you did not like this one get another one.
Worked at: 440th Airlift wing in Supply - his first job out of service, and Harley Davidson
Early factory jobs: Inland Ryerson, E.G. Artz, Kearney and Trecker, and then became a salesperson and sold: Watkins, Fuller Brush, Electrolux vacuum cleaners, Freezers, Siding and Windows, Forrester Insurance, Cars at Braeger Chevrolet, Real Estate Sales at Wauwatosa Realty and Merrill Lynch Realty, TRC Computers – building and selling computers, Fireplaces at Fireplace LTD and Burning Hearth. Loved the fireplace job and stayed there for 10 years. Had summers off to do what he wanted to do.
Resided on 96th and Oklahoma, New Berlin on 124th street in a townhouse, Hartland in a side by side two story, West Allis on 90th and Schlinger, Fort Atkinson in a side by side, and Janesville on Teal Lane.
Had lots of dogs in our married life: Raised Puppies – Lhasa Apso and German Shepherd
Some of our beloved dogs were named: Taffy, Lisa, Jamie, Brandy, Casey, Sadie, PJ, Mitsy, Licorice, Shadow, Ellie Mae, Dolly, Dusty, and Charlee. Loved walking in the woods with the dogs, fishing, and going to and watching horse racing. Played a horse racing and breeding game called Derby Fever for over 23 years. Arlington Park in IL was a favorite racecourse. They tore it down and leveled it to build a stadium for the Chicago Bears. Never got built. Went to Churchill Downs once during Derby Week. Stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Bardstown, KY. Fun.
Loved Las Vegas in the 80s and 90s. Sands, Tropicana, Frontier, Riviera, Sams Town, Silver Dollar and Golden Nugget. Took over 30 trips for long weekends over 15 years. Played $1 and $2 blackjack and roulette. All are gone now. Torn down and not the same town. We won a little and lost a little but had lots of fun doing it.
In 2006 had a 4-way bypass on his heart. Beating heart surgery. Had infection and had to leave chest open and pack it. Had a pic line. All turned out ok. In 2024 David developed Prostate Cancer. Also, probably a small cell carcinoma on liver pushing on ribs. Agent Orange that he swept off footlocker is probably the cause. Also was it being at Camp LeJeune drinking the bad water?
All his groomsmen are dead now: Bob Equitz, Dale Greykowski, Harry Petropolous.
Survived by wife of 54 years, Patricia (Diek) Prokop; brother Peter Penkalski, and sisters Kim Penkalski Patin and Christina Penkalski Platz, and several nieces and nephews.
David passed away at home in bed at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday morning August 22, 2026.
No visitation or services will be held. Interment will be at a later date at Highland Memorial Park, New Berlin, WI. Assisting with arrangements is HENKE-CLARSON FUNERAL HOME. Online condolences may be shared at www.henkeclarson.com.
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