John Kowalczyk

John Kowalczyk, a resident of Yonkers, NY, passed away on Feb 7th following an illness. He was 78. John was born on May 28, 1935 to Jacob and Anna Mamrosz Kowalczyk in the village of Stawisza in the Lemko region of southeastern Poland. After serving in the army, John immigrated to the United States in 1960, but never forgot his homeland. He was a longtime member of several Lemko organizations. In 1969, John married the love of his life, Melanie. They settled in Yonkers, raising two children together. John was an avid sports fan. He loved soccer and there was not a game he would miss when his son was playing. Almost equally, John loved hockey and tennis, always passionately rooting for his favorites. John also loved music. Loving a good "zabava", as a young man, John played the drums and accordion in a band, alongside his brother. Whether playing around on the piano during holidays, or singing along from the pews at church, John had and kept music in his life. Above all, John loved his family. He was a very hard worker and endured much to give his children, of whom he was very proud of, all that he could. One of John's greatest joys was his five granddaughters, who all loved and adored their "dido". He was a gentle giant who will be greatly missed. He worked for precision valve as the foreman for over 35 years. Besides his wife Melanie, he is survived by his 2 children; Stephen (Alexandra) Kowalczyk of Cross River, Christine (William) Szpynde of Amawalk, 5 grand daughters, Adriana, Emily, Victoria, Vivian and Julia; his brother Andy (Mary) Kowalczyk and sister Olga (Joe) Kowalczyk. He was predeceased by his brother Walter (1992), his mother Anna(2012) and father Jacob(1960) Visitation will be at Whalen & Ball Funeral Home on Sunday February 9, 2014 from 1-4pm & 6-9pm. Funeral Service will be held at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church on Monday February 10, 2014 at 10am with Interment to follow at Oakland Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of Whalen & Ball Funeral Home, Yonkers, NY.