Mieczyslaw "Matt" Josef Lipiec

Matt was born in Wolka-Czarnoystok, Poland on May 25, 1931 to Roman and Helena Gumieniak Lipiec. Matt was five years old when the family moved to Dyle, Poland. He finished first grade in Dyle then went to Catechism classes in the summer and received his first Holy Communion. He was preparing to start second grade when the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939. After that, there was no more school for Matt. The Lipiec family lived under the Nazi regime in Poland until 1943 when Matt, his six-year-old sister Danuta, and their parents were arrested by the Nazis, processed through two concentration camps and transported to Germany to work as slave labor on German farms. Thanks be to God, this family of four was able to stay together throughout the entire ordeal to the end of WWII in 1945. After the war, they chose to remain in Germany in Displaced Persons Camps. The Lipiec family was sponsored through the Catholic Charities by Walter and Kathryn Baugh of Bennington, Kansas and Matt and his family arrived in the USA in October 1949.

Matt was eighteen years old when they arrived in Kansas. Walter got special permission to enroll Matt in school as a freshman in high school. Matt spoke Polish and German but did not speak any English so the English teacher, Clara Thoren, took him under her guidance since she spoke German. Matt did well in school and became the star kicker of the football team. He remained at Bennington High School for his sophomore year after which his family moved to Raritan, Illinois.

He was working for the Sante Fe Railroad when he was drafted into the US Army in 1952. He started out at Fort Sheridan, Illinois and was reassigned to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas where he was trained in anti-aircraft artillery. He then received orders to Fliegerhorst Kaserne in Hanau,Germany. So back to Germany he went. Besides going out on maneuvers in Grafenwoehr where he drove a tank, he was also assigned to help patrol the streets of Hanau. When his overseas tour was over, he arrived back in the USA in January 1954. His parents now lived in Stronghurst,Illinois and he saw that they were doing well on their own. He helped his dad in the blacksmith shop until June 1954 when he enlisted in the US Air Force and was assigned to Lackland AirForce Base in San Antonio, Texas for training. His next assignment in July 1954 was Bergstrom AFB in Austin, Texas where he was assigned to the 808th Supply Squadron as a Supply Accounting Clerk. In 1960, Matt was one of the few airmen who were sent to IBM in Dallas for training to prepare for the conversion of the Air Force supply inventory from handwritten records to IBM computer punch cards.

While still assigned to Bergstrom, he received his GED from Austin High School in 1955 and became an American citizen in 1956. He met Henrietta (Henri) Kouba of Shiner, Texas while she was a student nurse at Seton School of Nursing in Austin and they were married on October 4, 1958. Matt & Henri continued to live in Austin and their first three children, Steven, Ronald, and Susan were born at Bergstrom AFB. In 1961, Matt received orders to Moron Air Base near Seville, Spain and continued work with the conversion of the supply records. While in Spain, two more children, Thomas and John, were born. John died of sudden infant death syndrome in 1964 when he was seven weeks old. Matt flew back to the states for the burial of John in Shiner, Texas.

Matt’s next assignment was to Beale Air Force Base in California in 1965 where he was assigned to the Ninth Strategic Reconnaissance Wing/9th SRW to support the new SR-71 Blackbird. He continued to work in the Supply/Logistics Squadron in the inner circle of this very unique group. Matt was a charter member of the Blackbird Association as member #283. In 1969, he went on temporary duty to support the operational location of the SR-71/HABU at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. After that, he had a one-year assignment in 1970 to Udorn Air Base in Thailand. Matt then go to orders in 1971 for an assignment to Germany. So, it was back to Germany again, this time with the US Air Force and with his young family. Matt was assigned to HQ USAFE at both Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden and Ramstein Air Base. Matt planned to retire in 1975 so he requested Bergstrom AFB for his retirement. Matt and Henri bought a house in Austin and made it their permanent home. Matt and Henri continued their extensive travels for many years going to Poland, other parts of Europe, and all over the US.

Matt was preceded in death by: his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law Joe & Clara Kouba; sister Danuta McIntire; son John; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Buster and Lydia Hobbs; sister-in-law Venice Kouba; sister-in-law Tia Kouba; brother-in-law Marvin Schreiber; sister-in-law Merlene Kouba; and numerous other relatives in the US and Poland

He is survived by his wife Henri; son Stev & wife Melissa; son Ron; daughter Sue; and son Tom; brother-in-law Jack McIntire; brother-in-law Stanley Kouba; sister-in-law Georgia Schreiber; brother-in-law Joe Kouba Jr.; and other relatives in the US and Poland. Plus, two very special life-long friends: classmate and quarterback Bill Austin of Kansas and Army buddy Bill Gerwien of Connecticut.

St. David’s Hospice provided comfort and support for Matt and his family during the last four months of his life and we thank them for this.

Thank you to Father Craig DeYoung, Father Saji Lukose, Father Jose Mena and Deacon Mark Molchen of St. Louis King of France Catholic Church for their visits, prayers, and support.

Thank you to Marty Sledz at Cook-Walden Funeral Home for the caring and compassionate service he provided to us during this difficult time.

Matt loved this country and knew how fortunate he and his family were, and always said “God Bless America and Thank You God.”

Matt’s final audible words before he died were “I’m ok”

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to:

-St .Louis King of France Catholic Church

7601 Burnet Road

Austin, TX 78757

-The Seton Heart Institute at Ascension Seton

The Seton Fund

1201 West 38th Street

Austin, TX 78705-9988

-Or to the charity of your choice.

Memorial Mass: October 6, 2023 at 11:00am

St. Louis King of France Catholic Church

7601 Burnet Road

Austin, TX 78757

Burial of Ashes with Military Honors: Friday, October 27, 2023 at 11:00am

Shiner Catholic Cemetery

Shiner, TX 77984