Clement (Clem) John Joseph Szymanski, age 96, of Aurora, passed away on Thursday, August 8, 2019 at Western Kentucky Veterans Center.
Mr. Szymanski was born on July 21, 1923 to the late John and Anastasia (Sobieralski) Szymanski. He was a veteran of the United States Army and served our country in World War II. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service as a carrier in 1980 and shortly thereafter moved to Benton, Kentucky to fish Kentucky Lake. Clem was a very faithful and involved member of St. Henry Catholic Church in Benton where he was honored by the Bishop with the very prestigious and once in a lifetime Sophia Award for his outstanding service and support to the Catholic Church. He also served as a member of The Knights of Columbus, American Legion Post #144 of Gilbertsville and the NARFE Post #1587. He will be remembered most fondly for his lifetime passion for fishing. Once retired, he won several medals in the Senior Olympics and was also an avid golfer and tennis player.
Clem was born and raised in South Bend Indiana, growing up in St. Hedwig Parish and raising his family through Holy Cross Parish. Clem is survived by three daughters, Chris Krueper (Dave) of Lake Leelanau, Michigan, Cathy Wenger (Phil) of Maineville, Ohio, and Cindy Powell (Ron) of Greenwood, Indiana; four sons, Don Szymanski (Terry) of Granger, Indiana, Richard Szymanski of South Bend, Indiana, Ed Szymanski (Beth) of Houston, Texas, and Robert Szymanski of South Bend, Indiana. He is also survived by two sisters, Esther Cyr of South Bend, Indiana and Mary Jane Zeman of Franksville, Wisconsin; eighteen grandchildren and twenty nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Lucian Szymanski, Louis (Dick)Szymanski, and Daniel (Danny) Szymanski.
Visitation will be held on Monday, August 12, 2019 from 9:00 am until 10:00 am at St. Henry’s Catholic Church with a funeral mass by Father Greg Trawick to immediately follow at 10:00 am. Burial will then be at St Henry’s Cemetery followed by a celebratory luncheon at the Parish Hall. A mass and meal of celebration will take place in South Bend, IN, at a soon-to-be determined date.
The family would like to express their sincere gratefulness for the tremendous loving care that their Father, Dzia Dzia, and Great Grandfather experienced at The Stilley House in Benton, The Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson and to both St Henry’s and Christ the King Parishes in Madisonville. As an expression of sympathy, the family would greatly appreciate your support to St. Henry Catholic Church, 16097 US HWY 68E, Hardin, KY 42048, or any Veterans organization of choice.
Filbeck-Cann Funeral Home of Milner & Orr is in charge of arrangements.
You may leave a message for the family or light a candle at Filbeckandcann.com.