Joseph M. Ziabicki

RACINE - Joseph M. Ziabicki, 95, passed away on Tuesday, October 16, 2007, at Alterra Clairebridge, Kenosha. He was born on September 10, 1912, in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a child, he grew up in Finland and in 1918, the entire family moved to Warsaw, Poland, where he attended schools and received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Warsaw (Polytechnic). After his previous marriage dissolved, Joe married Helga Knaebe in 1965, uniting them with her son, Dieter, from a previous marriage. In 1939, as Nazi Germany invaded Poland, Joe was inducted in the Polish Army as a Reserve Officer, and after four weeks of bitter fighting against invaders, he was captured and held in German captivity for five-and-one-half years. At the end of World War II, he joined the staff of IRO (International Refugee Organization) in Europe and from his office in Bremen, Germany, he processed over 100,000 European refugees for resettlement in the USA. Joe was employed by Massey-Harris Company designing tractors. After five years when the company moved to Detroit, Mich., Joe worked for Twin Disc Company in Racine. In the meantime, he developed his own business, Ziabicki Import Company, importing picture hangers from Germany, which still is in operation today. In 1968, Joe became a member of the Racine West Rotary Club. His extensive activities in Rotary resulted in being elected District Governor in 1982. Joe is survived by a daughter, Patricia (Joens Lange Sr.) Lange-Ziabicki; grandchildren, Dierk, Joens Jr., Patrick, Katharina, and Christian, all of Germany; nephew, Andrew and wife, Christina; grandniece, Joanna, all of Warsaw, Poland; grandnephew, Jacek of Chicago, Ill.; sister-in-law, Dora (Ewald) Mantay; nieces-in-law, Diana (Charles) Gretzinger of Racine and Jasmine (Steve) Fazzari and their children, Renee and Anthony, all of St. Louis, Mo.; step-son, Dieter and his wife, Jennifer; step- grandchildren, Elizabeth (Jason) Looker and Andrew, Derek; step-great-grandson, Cameron in Northern Wisconsin; and brothers-in-law, Egon (Marianna) of New York, Hans (Irmgaard), and Peter (Reu), all of Frankfurt, Germany. He is further survived by other relatives and many dear friends. Joe was preceded in death by his brother, Modest, who was murdered in the German concentration camp in 1943; and by his wife, Helga in 1991. There will be a Memorial visitation at the Sturino Funeral Home on Friday, October 19, 2007, from 5 until 7 p.m. Joe will have a private burial of his cremains next to his wife, Helga, in Graceland Cemetery. STURINO FUNERAL HOME (formerly Hanson Funeral Home) 3014 Northwestern Avenue 632-4479