Frank J. AUGUSTYN

1925 - 2019

AUGUSTYN Frank J. U.S.A.F. (Ret) Col Frank J. Augustyn, 93, formerly of Gulf Stream, FL passed peacefully on January 1, 2019 in his home at Lourdes Noreen McKeen Residence in West Palm Beach, FL. He was born on May 19, 1925, in Meriden, CT, the son of Blaze and Mary Barbara Kozimor Augustyn. He is survived by his loving wife of 16 years, Eileen Hoye Augustyn. Col Augustyn's life was framed by his long military career that featured distinguished service in three warsWorld War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served and completed 30 combat missions in the Pacific Theater of WW II as a Senior Navigator and Radar Bombardier in B-24 Liberator bombers. After World War II, he continued to serve to become a multi-rated Command Pilotwith tours in multiple assignments in the Pacific and Asia, including Pacific Atomic Bomb tests. In the Korean War, Col Augustyn flew C-54 missions from Japan into Korea. In Viet Nam, he served as Tactical Air Command representative to the Seventh Air Force where his expertise provided air support in the theater and also flew missions in several different aircraft in Viet Nam. During and after the conflicts in Korea and Viet Nam, Col Augustyn served in strategic and command positions in Europe and the U.S.including the Operations and Plans Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. He was valued as an expert in systems projects for manned interceptors, missile warfare, sensor and guidance systems, and tactical aircraft avionics. He earned many Air Force decorations including the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal, and several Joint Service and Air Force commendation medals. His career was punctuated by continued education and highly technical training that placed him in key planning and advisory roles. He attended the New York University and the Air Force Institute of Technology Graduate School, receiving a degree in Electronics Engineering, and holds a Master of Arts Degree as Systems Analyst from the University of Maryland. He was also a graduate of the National War College in Washington. After serving 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, Col Augustyn earned a juris doctor from the University of Florida Law School. He subsequently practiced as an attorney and Counselor at Law in the state of Florida. His life demonstrated the highest standards of dignity, compassion and commitment. He was a true gentlemanexemplified in both in his personal and professional life. He was a devoted husband to Eileen, loyal to his extended family, and a trusted friend to many. Col Augustyn was a man of deep faith: a staunch Roman Catholic and a parishioner at Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton, where he had served as usher, Lector and Eucharistic Minister. He was a member of the Little Club and a former member of the St. Andrews Club of Gulf Stream. In addition to his wife, Col Augustyn is survived by two sisters, Emily Schiavone and Esther Michalowski, and brother-in-law Donald Woronick all of Meriden, CT.; sister-in-law Barbara Augustyn of Terryville, and numerous special nieces, nephews and godchildren. He was predeceased by his brothers John, Joseph, Thaddeus and Peter; and sisters Stacia Losek and Helen Woronick, all of Connecticut. There will be a funeral mass to be celebrated by Fr. Gavin Badway at Ascension Catholic Church, 7250 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33487 on Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at 11:00AM. Burial will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Frank's memory to a charity of the donors' choice, or The Lourdes Foundation to support Lourdes Noreen Mckeen, 315 South Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, or Misericordia Heart of Mercy, Attn: Sister Rosemary Connelly, 6300 North Ridge Avenue Chicago, IL 60660.