Stanley B. Gwiazdzinski, 96, of Greenwich, passed away on Saturday, June 17, in his home, surrounded by his beloved family.
Born in Chicago on Feb. 19, 1921 to Franciszek and Bronislawa (Szatkowska) Gwiazdzinski, he moved to his parents’ native Poland as a child and grew up in Gdynia on the Baltic Sea.
At the age of 18, he returned to America, settling in New York City. He joined President Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps as a means of learning English while working on forestry projects throughout the western regions of the United States. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army (120th Infantry), and was stationed in Camp Blanding, Fla., as an MP, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. While in the Army, he earned two Good Conduct Medals, a Soldier’s Medal, and an Expert Infantryman Badge. In 1942, while still serving, he married Wladyslawa (Gladys) Caban, whom he had met while living in New York.
After his discharge, Stanley became a master machinist. He worked at Aerotec in Greenwich for several years, becoming a foreman before leaving to found his own business, Union Machine Shop Service. His creative tooling enabled him to perform work equivalent to a shop many times its size, primarily for government contractors. His work included machining parts for temperature sensors for the first generation of nuclear submarines, quick disconnects for vital pilot ejector systems, and microwave communication systems used by the Secret Service. In his field, he was a true innovator and was often sought out by others for help that he generously gave to all who asked.
An avid outdoorsman, Stan was a member of the Grass Island Boat Club and was an accomplished marksman and archer. He was a talented photographer and landscape artist. Stan used his gifts to express his love of nature, and he extended his interests as a member of the Glenville Camera Club.
Sharing an adventurous spirit, Stanley and Gladys took up the sport of downhill skiing in their fifties, making up for lost time by taking frequent ski trips to Vermont. In the warmer months, the Gwiazdzinskis were enthusiastic cruise-goers, enjoying the ocean and the many islands they explored.
Beyond any of his many accomplishments, Stanley cherished the family he leaves behind, including his wife, Gladys, who has been a constant source of inspiration, love and support throughout nearly 75 years of a very special marriage. He also leaves five children, Arline Towne, James Gwiazdzinski and his wife, Susan McCabe, Daniel Gwiazdzinski and life-partner Kathy Aldrich, Donna Driscoll and her husband, Michael, and Richard Kusiowski and his wife Barbara. Stanley leaves 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. His shared intellectual curiosity and open mind gave his family the broad range of interests, ideas and values that they live by. Stan was a man of boundless generosity, whose unfailing patience, wisdom and guidance had a lifelong influence on those who knew him.
Family and friends gathered to celebrate his life June 22 at Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home of Greenwich. A Mass of Christian burial will take place Friday, June 23 at 10 a.m., at St. Paul Church in Greenwich, followed by interment at St. Mary’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the Gwiazdzinski family requests that friends and family make donations to the charity dearest to their hearts. For more information or to place an online condolence, coxeandgraziano.com
