Lawrence BORAWSKI

BORAWSKI, Lawrence passed away on August 8, 2023 at his residence near the home of his daughter, Nicole Borawski, in Tampa, Florida. Larry was born on Oct. 14, 1951, the son of George P. and Anna (Dombrowski) Borawski in New Britain, Connecticut. He attended Penney High School where he was editor of the school paper and played football. It was here that he met his future wife, Jeanne Pizzoferrato. They married and had two daughters, Carolyn Mary Dillhyon (Borawski) and Nicole Claudette Borawski, both born in Hartford, CT. Larry was a lover of life, new adventures and frequently found himself at the center of interesting events. In 1958 he met Walt Disney on Main Street USA while vacationing in California with his parents and siblings, he attended the funeral of JFK where he had a front row viewing to the casket being carried out of the rotunda. In 1969, he managed to get backstage at Woodstock and found himself driving many artists to/from the stage and their hotels. He shared a bottle of champagne with Joe Cocker and strawberries and cream with Grace Slick. and was able to watch the final performance, Jimi Hendrix's infamous Star Spangled Banner from closer then the front row. Larry wrote an article about his Woodstock weekend experience for the Hartford Courant and can be seen in the fold-out of the Woodstock album, even appearing in the recent Netflix documentary. He was an opening day cast member at Walt Disney World and loved to tell stories of the many celebrities he met during his time there. (He's still waiting for Barbra Eden to accept his date invitation and got to laugh with Mickey Rooney in his boxers.) He was also able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of opening day with Carolyn and Nikki and his granddaughter, Ava, where many random strangers stood in line to have pictures taken with him as an "opening day cast member." Despite a serious high school football injury, Larry was an avid runner for much of his life, running several marathons laughing about how he hated every minute of them. He worked in various aspects of the construction industry throughout his life. He sold concrete, participated in the building of Walt Disney World rides and worked with NASA on the space shuttle launch pads in addition to building many large shopping centers that now dot the landscape of south Florida. Larry got sober in 1987 was a proud member of AA. He was honored to pay it forward and sponsored many men, including those in prisons. He was the epitome of empathy for and generosity towards the downtrodden, frequently giving the shoes off his feet to people in need. Above all, he was a good father to Carolyn and Nicole. Despite divorce, he was an active participant in the girls' daily lives: regular phone calls, weekly church services including making sure that they made their First Holy Communion, massive Valentine's Day Hearts, Mad magazines, Archie Comics, never-ending 8-tracks of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Bee Gees, Bob Segar. Healthy dinners while watching Hogan's Heroes and Family Feud. Fun trips driving across the country, listening to stories about Black Bart and Brown Bill, meeting extended family, teaching his children to ride a bike, dive, play blackjack, build plywood furniture. He instilled a sense of adventure, exploration, curiosity, critical thinking, good manners, rock and roll, and Jesus Christ. Larry was a man of faith whose walk with Christ was an example to everyone who knew him. He led bible studies and was active member of whichever parish he attended. He was a willing and loving primary caregiver for his parents in their final years. After guiding his daughter, Nicole, through a tumultuous adolescence, they were best friends until the day he died. He was immensely proud of her service in the Army, her personal growth, her career achievements, and her generous and empathetic nature. He is survived by two daughters, Nicole Borawski, Carolyn Dillhyon (Borawski), her husband Michael, their two children, Ava Nicole and Wyatt David, his former wife, Jeanne Pizzoferrato, his four siblings, Gerald Borawski, Marion Zeiner (husband Robert), George Borawski, and Marlene Borawski. In addition to his two grandchildren, he was close to seven nieces and nephews and 10 great-nieces and nephews. A funeral mass will be held on August 12, 2023, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 4518 South Manhattan Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611.