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John Szafranski of Southampton died on August 24 at Westhampton Care Center. He was 82.
Mr. Szafranski was born in Poland in 1927, and at age 16 was sent with his father to a German labor camp, where his father died.
In 1945, the U.S. Army liberated the camps, and Mr. Szafranski worked for the American forces, traveling to France and then back to Germany in 1949. Later that year he emigrated to the United States, arriving in Boston via ship. He eventually settled in Water Mill, where he lived and worked for a few years.
Soon after, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea, fighting as an infantryman on the front lines. In 1952, he returned to the East End of Long Island, working for the Stachecki family; later on he worked for Harry H. Wilde in Southampton in general construction and carpentry.
In 1961, Mr. Szafranski married Sophie Filonik; they were married for 30 years, until her death in 1991. The couple had one son, John Richard Szafranski, who died in 2006.
Family said this week that Mr. Szafranski will be remembered as having a positive outlook on life, adding that though he was fiercely independent, he was a generous man who was always willing to lend a helping hand to family and friends.
He is survived by his daughter-in-law, Paula Russell Szafranski of New York City, his sister-in-law, Teresa Szafranski, and two nephews, Marek Szafranski and Walter Szafranski, all of Connecticut.
A funeral with military honors was held on August 31 at Calverton National Cemetery, where his ashes are now interred. A memorial service will be held in the fall to celebrate his life.
Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the O’Connell Funeral Home in Southampton.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Dominican Sisters, P.O. Box 1028, Hampton Bays, NY 11946, would be appreciated by the family.
on Sep 2, 2009