Ret. US Army Lt. Col. Thadeus Stanley Janasiewicz
October 24, 1924 ~ October 16, 2017 (age 92) 92 Years OldShare using:
Thadeus Stanley Janasiewicz, Lt. Colonel U.S. Army, Ret. passed away on Monday, October 16, 2017, at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, in Lake City, Florida, one week before his 93rd birthday. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Alexander and Catherine (Swatloska) Janasiewicz and was one of 6 children. He lived in New Bedford until entering the military at age 17. He served with the US Army in Europe during World War II, in Germany after the war, and later, Korea, Vietnam, and Panama. Upon his retirement in 1969, he moved his family from Panama to Tallahassee, FL where he earned his Master’s degree in Education from Florida State University. He taught American History at Leon High School in Tallahassee, FL and at Ft. Walton Beach High School in Fort Walton Beach, FL. In 1977 he was named as Teacher of the Year in Okaloosa County, the first male teacher to ever receive that honor. He loved making history come alive through anecdotal stories, and his sense of humor always shone through in all aspects of his life. He loved God, country, and his family with fervor and served them with passion.
He was predeceased by his wife of 37 years, Elizabeth Juanita (McClung) Janasiewicz. Together they traveled the country between deployments with their two young sons, making each trip a special vacation. He leaves behind those two sons, Dr. Stanley W. Janasiewicz (Karin) of Lake City, FL and Dr. Bruce A. Janasiewicz (Lynn) of Tallahassee, FL. He also has six grandchildren who cherished and adored him - Jennifer Janasiewicz of Tallahassee, FL; Adam Janasiewicz (Crystal) of Lake City, FL; Julie Janasiewicz of Sioux Falls, SD; Trent Janasiewicz (Jessica) of Tallahassee, FL; Megan Janasiewicz of Grantham, England; and Leslie (Nicholas) Ona of Tampa, FL. Three great-granddaughters Harper, Kennedy, and Cora will miss out on the wealth of wisdom their Pop Pop / Great Big Daddy would have shared with them. He also loved sharing his beach house on St. George Island, FL with his family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his three brothers John (Lydia), Henry (Velma), and Stanley Janasiewicz, and his two sisters Rose Janasiewicz and Cecelia (Thomas) Tomasik. He leaves behind many nieces and nephews who loved their Uncle Teddy.
The family with receive friends at 4 PM on Thursday, October 26 at Gateway - Forest Lawn Funeral Home at 3596 South Hwy 441 in Lake City, Florida with the funeral service to follow at 5 PM with Dr. Rodney Baker officiating. He will be interred at Parkhill Cemetery in Columbus, GA at 2 PM the following day. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Franklin County Humane Society at 244 Hwy 65, Eastpoint, FL 32328, or, since he was blind, to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind at 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. Please leave words of comfort for the family on the online guest book at www.gatewayforestlawn.com. Arrangements are under the direction of GATEWAY-FOREST LAWN FUNERAL HOME, (386) 752-1954.