Daniel J. Radecki

RADECKI Daniel J., M.D. Daniel J. Radecki, M.D., F.A.C.S., 80, died suddenly Sunday, October 21, 2007, in The Toledo Hospital. A vibrant, loving man, he will be missed by his many friends, relatives, and colleagues. Dan was born in Toledo, Ohio, the youngest child of Ignatius and Helen Radecki. At the age of 16, he graduated from Central Catholic High School. At 18, he graduated from The University of Toledo, and at 21, received his medical degree from St. Louis University - one of the youngest MDs in the history of the school. He interned at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he met a beautiful young nurse, Claire Zientek. They were married June 14, 1952, and returned to Toledo together. They had two children, Brian and Tracy, to whom they were very devoted. Dan was such an enthusiastic fan at his son's high school football games that the school asked him to continue attending the games, even after his son graduated. And Dan loved watching Tracy at her ballet recitals. Dan was a board certified general surgeon and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, as well as a member of the UK Royal Society of Medicine. His career as a surgeon spanned 50 years to the day - from April 9, 1949 to April 9, 1999 - but he never gave up medicine. He still reviewed cases for the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, and recently signed a five-year contract to perform physicals at Delphi Manufacturing in Sandusky. His skill as a surgeon was enhanced by the personal care he gave his patients. Throughout his medical career, he made house calls, and never charged priests or nuns for his services. When referring patients to other physicians, he often passed along personal information: "Mrs. X makes the best paczki in Toledo. Take good care of her." Dan had a love of travel, and he and Claire visited places around the world, including Japan, Greece, Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Mexico and the Caribbean. A lifelong athlete, he skied, and played tennis up to the day before his death. He was an ardent fan of Notre Dame football - so much so that many people thought he was a graduate of the school. Dan loved the finer things in life, especially his cars. He was particularly fond of convertibles. Although Claire passed away in 1999, his love for her never did. Each year, on Mother's Day, he would travel to her hometown of Hazleton, PA, to spend time with her brother and sister. Dan also traveled to see his children and grandchildren, and was a loving father and grand-father. Dan was a larger-than-life man who never forgot that it was the little gestures that mean the most, whether it was reassuring a patient about to go into surgery, cheering on a high school football team, or passing along the latest email joke. Dan was preceded in death by his parents; Claire; brothers, Joseph, John, Andrew, and Henry; and sister, Lillian Curtiss. He is survived by his son, Brian, of Simsbury, CT; his children, Alexander and Alyssa, and their mother, Mary Kirchoff; he is also survived by his daughter, Tracy Kalm of Evanston, IL, her husband, Nick, and their son, Jack. Friends may call today from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thomas I. Wisniewski Funeral Home, 2426 North Reynolds Road, with a Scripture Service this evening at 7:30 p.m. Services will begin there at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow and continue with a Mass of Christian Burial at Gesu Church at 10 a.m. Interment at Resurrection Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Central Catholic High School or a charity of the donor's choice.