Stanley Whitey John Kowalski

Beloved father to Linda Bernhardt, grandfather to Angela Bernhardt and great-grandfather to Aja Bernhardt-Gosselink. Predeceased by his beloved wife Isabella (Tiny), his parents, Albert and Anna, his brothers, Casmir John (Jack), Ladislaus John (Match), his sister Josephine (Jenny), his son-in-law Richard Bernhardt and his grandson Andrew Bernhardt.

Whitey worked for 46 years at Burns Meats, retiring in 1972. Whitey was a talented athlete and avid sports fan. As a young man he played both baseball and hockey. He played with some of hockey’s greats with the Kitchener Greenshirts in the 1930’s and enjoyed a career in the American Hockey League, playing for the Hershey Bears and the Baltimore Orioles. He was a member of the Conestoga Golf and Country Club for many years, where, over the age of 80, he twice sunk a hole-in-one. He enjoyed fishing and was a member of the Kitchener Knights of Columbus. Whitey had a sharp wit and loved to tell a tale. He was a real character who touched so many as a very special, infectiously positive person. He will be greatly missed by his family, his old and new friends. We will miss his candor, his laughter and kindness.

We invite all family and friends to share a story and a smile during a visitation at Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home (51 Benton St., Kitchener) on Friday, March 16 from 2-4pm and 7-9 p.m. A service to celebrate Stanley’s life will take place in the funeral home chapel on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. with Fr. Peter Meyer officiating. Prayers will be recited at the funeral home on Friday at 8:30 p.m. Interment will take place at Woodland Cemetery, Kitchener immediately following the reception.

The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to the wonderfully kind and caring staff at Winston Park Village, who so obviously cared deeply for “Stan,” who felt the same way about all of them. Special thanks to Jim Tait, his nephew and friend. Our Stan, our Whitey, finally ran out of gas.

As expressions of sympathy, donations can be made to St. John's Kitchen. Online condolences may be made at www.schreitersandrockfuneralhome.com.