John A. Stanek Jr.

John A. Stanek, Jr., 83, passed away unexpectedly and joined his parents John and Emily (Pol) Stanek and his sister Patricia Shade (Stanek) on August 3rd 2024. He was born on May 28th, 1941, at their East 14th Street home. He attended Saint Stanislaus grade school and then Erie Tech where he was the starting fullback for the State Champion football team and was a State Champion in discus and shot put. He married his high school sweetheart, Judy Kaczmarek, and enjoyed 61 and 11/12ths years of marriage.
John worked for Top Roc Newcrete in Fairview for fifty years, two months and three days. He was also President of the family business, Stanley Brothers Furniture Company. He was an active member of Saint George Church for fifty years. He was the "king of crosswords", enjoyed the Glenwood YMCA, hunting, fishing, traveling, gardening, feeding the backyard birds, watching classic western movies, listening to old country music songs and a good joke. "Big Daddy" was also very proud of his Polish heritage listening to polka music, eating pierogies and potato pancakes, baking homemade sweetbread, attending the annual Zabawa Polish festival and enjoying the occasional nip of Jezynowka Polish Brandy.
Left behind to treasure his memory is his devoted wife Judy Stanek (Kaczmarek), his children that all said they were the one who loved him the most Dr. John Stanek III (Martha), Jessica Reichert (Chuck Barto) and Jerri Schertzer (Craig); his grandchildren Amanda and Ashley Reichert; brother, Joseph Stanek; brother-in-law Thomas Shade; and many other close family members and friends he considered family.
Friends are invited to call on Sunday from 1p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory, 1595 West 38th Street and on Monday at Saint George Catholic Church, 5145 Peach St. at 10 a.m. until the time of the funeral mass at 11a.m. Inurnment will be private in Calvary Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint George Church to support their Tuition Angel Fund.