Obituary for
John W Marcinak
John Walter Marcinak
November 25, 1920 – January 30, 2017
John Walter Marcinak, 96, of Vero Beach, passed away in the early hours of Monday, January 30, 2017, with his grandson, Garry Rooney, and his companion/caregiver, Chiquita Smith-Reed, at his side.
John was born to the late Andrew and Anna (Jendra) Marcinak on November 25, 1920, in Hamtramck, Michigan, the youngest of four children. He first saw his future wife, Salome Michalik (Sally), in 1939 as she was crossing a park on her way to work as a Registered Nurse at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. John told his mother that he was going to marry Sally (even though they hadn’t yet met!). It took four years and five marriage proposals before Sally consented to marry John. She said she wasn’t ready to get married yet. John and Sally exchanged vows on August 27, 1943, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At the time, John had just returned from foreign service in the U.S. Army.
John eventually was shipped overseas to the European Theatre of World War II. He was part of the U.S. 3rd Army, 71st Infantry Division, 14th Infantry Regiment, 607th Field Artillery Battalion, that swept through Europe from La Havre, France to Steyr, Austria. On May 4, 1945, the 71st Division liberated the concentration camp at Gunskirchen, Austria. John was one of two men in his division who could speak Polish and, thus, could communicate with the camp survivors. John was awarded a number of medals, including two Bronze Stars. He didn’t speak of his war-time experiences for 65 years, and then only briefly. However, John’s Honor Flight experience with other World War II veterans showed him a nation’s gratitude for his military service.
After the war, John and Sally began their married life in Detroit. They increased their family with four children: Judy, Don, Tim and Linda.
In 1956, John moved his family to Winter Park, Florida. There, he began his own painting contracting company, Daelite Painting. (John’s company continues to be a successful business under the leadership of his son, Don.) Sally worked as a Registered Nurse at Winter Park Memorial Hospital in the newborn nursery.
John became very involved in his parish, St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. He was an active member of the SMM church ushers, the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus (in which he eventually became a 4th Degree member). John was also a member of the Finance Committee, which has the awesome responsibility of accurately counting and depositing the Sunday collections.
John had many interests, of which these are a few: bowling (several bowling leagues in Winter Park); dancing, even square dancing (always with his favorite partner, Sally); boating, which included fishing and shrimping; annual visits to their time-share condos; semiannual visits to Las Vegas; organizing fund-raisers for his parish (golf tournaments, men’s beef roasts).
In 2008, John and Sally relocated to Vero Beach, Florida, after John retired and Sally had confronted several medical issues. John and Sally spent the ensuing years living with their grandson, Garry. They enjoyed making the rounds of various Vero Beach restaurants for their daily lunch excursions.
John lost the love of his life, Sally, on May 26, 2013. But he continued his daily lunch excursions with his companion/caregiver, Chiquita, (who also became his personal driver!). John continued to enjoy good health even though he became less physically active. In October, 2016, John danced at the wedding of his grandson, Garry, and Garry’s bride, Jane. In December, 2016, John held his first great-grandchild, Henry Schaefer.
Suddenly, on January 6, John became ill and was hospitalized for several days. He was able to return home to his cottage; but his health deteriorated rapidly. VNA Hospice comforted John in his last days. Chiquita Smith-Reed, along with her team of experienced care-givers, Trenisha and Rose, continued to give John tender loving care day and night.
John is survived by his children Judy (John) Rooney of Fort Pierce; Don (Paula) Marcinak, of Geneva, Florida; Tim (Jennifer) Marcinak, of Wilmington, North Carolina; Linda (Tim) Gurtis, of Sanford, Florida. He is also survived by eight grandchildren: Garry (Jane) Rooney, of Vero Beach; Kate (Ian) Smith, of Seattle, Washington; Jesse Gurtis, of Hollywood, California; Jolene (Josh) Schaefer, of St. Petersburg, Florida; Jeanette (Matt) Carter, of Oviedo, Florida; Jared Gurtis, of Sanford, Florida; Tyler and Clayton Marcinak, of Atlanta, Georgia. John is also survived by his first great-grandchild, Henry Schaefer, of St. Petersburg, Florida.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church. Military honors will follow. Interment will take place at a later date at South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the VNA Hospice of Vero Beach.
Those wishing to send the family a message or share a story may visit John’s memorial page at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.
