William Charles Sawarynski, Sr., 89, of State College, died Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 at the Fairways at Brookline Village.
Born Sept. 30, 1919, in Bethlehem, he was a son of John and Fenka "Fannie" Shyska Sawarynski. On Feb. 3, 1945, he married Helen E. Langel, who died March 8, 2008. He was a graduate of Liberty High School and worked at Bethlehem Steel Company. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1941. He applied for and was accepted into OCS and reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant with Company C, 747th Tank Battalion. He served overseas in the Campaign of Northern France, Normandy Campaign from June 1944 until he was wounded on Aug. 11, 1944 after the battle at St. Lo at St. Germaine, for which he earned the Purple Heart and the European African Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal. After his discharge on Dec. 6, 1945, he returned to Bethlehem Steel Company until his retirement Jan. 31, 1981. He was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in State College, PA.
He is survived by two sons; William C., Jr. and his wife Donna, of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Thomas J., Sr. and his wife Janet, of Port Matilda; a sister, Annie Pacala and her husband, Bohdan, of Bethlehem; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Helen, his son John G. "Jack" Sawarynski on June 16, 1991, a brother Michael, and a sister, Jennie Torick.
Visitation will be from 5-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, at Pearson Funeral Home in Bethlehem. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at the University Parish at Holy Ghost Catholic Church on Carlton Avenue in Bethlehem on Friday, Sept. 18, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Holy Saviour Cemetery in Bethlehem with military honors.
In lieu of flowers, please remember the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105; the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, 3550 North Central Ave., Suite 300, Phoenix, AZ 85012; the University Parish at Holy Ghost Church, 417 Carlton Ave., Bethlehem, PA 18015; or Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 820 Westerly Parkway, State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College.