Obituary for Arthur John "Art" Niedzielski
Arthur (Art) John Niedzielski, 88, of Newtown, Connecticut passed away on Friday May 15, 2020 at Danbury Hospital. Born on May 16, 1931 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Helen (Wojsnarowicz Bugno) and Albert (Wojciech) Niedzielski. He is survived by his loving daughters: Linda Cohen (and husband Rob) of Poughquag, NY and Sandra Mathew (and husband Michael) of New Milford, CT; three grandchildren: Catelyn Cohen (and husband John Pratt) of Carbondale, CO, Megan Cohen of Port Jervis, NY, and Bryce Mathew of New Milford, CT, his sister Jeanne Raynock, of Moosic, PA, and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his beloved wife of 55 years Lenore (Lee), 6 brothers, and 4 sisters.
Art grew up in Scranton, proudly served in the Army during the Korean War, then earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He married the love of his life in 1961 and moved to Newtown in April 1962 where they raised two daughters. He started and ended his career on the East Coast with Sikorsky as an aeronautical engineer, having worked on the famous Black Hawk helicopter. He also earned a Master’s degree in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
His love of aeronautics happened quite by accident when he lived in the Bronx before he was married. He went looking for a sailboat to rent and found a seaplane instead and was immediately hooked. He kept his private pilot’s license for many years, taking Lee up in small aircrafts and flying over friends’ houses. He also enjoyed sailing and as a longtime member of the Candlewood Yacht Club, he served as treasurer and made many lifelong friends. Sunday sailboat racing on Candlewood was a family event for decades.
As members of Global Volunteers, he and Lee traveled to Belize to study manatees and porpoises and traveled to Poland to teach adults and children the English language. They trekked to Alaska to see the Northern Lights and cruised the rivers in Europe. They chartered sailboats with family and friends in Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, the Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of Maine. One of their favorite trips was on a small cruising ship that sailed between Tahiti and Fiji, stopping at several small islands along the way to meet the natives and distribute educational materials. After Lee passed, Art continued to travel going to Normandy, France with a Sikorsky buddy and then last summer by himself visiting friends and family in Tennessee and California with his trusty iPhone.
Art enjoyed sports of all kinds, but especially watching and playing tennis. In fact, he continued to play tennis up until just 2 years ago with his son-in-law Mike and best friend Kevin. In retirement, he found his creative side and started painting with watercolors. Art took great joy in life, celebrating every occasion, birthdays, anniversaries and lunches with friends and always with the appropriate beverage. A special favorite was a gin martini, dry, with a twist.
Art was a member of St. Joseph’s of Stratford (Polish) National Catholic Church in Stratford, Connecticut and served as an auditor on the parish board for the last 8 years. When St. Joseph’s resided in Bridgeport in the early 1960’s, Art served as a chairman of the parish. He was a devoted congregant and friend, attending coffee hour after each service, laughing and storytelling with a uniqueness to those who knew him.
A private burial service at graveside will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Art’s church, which he dearly loved. St Joseph’s of Stratford National Catholic Church, 1300 Stratford Rd, Stratford, CT 06615.
Art grew up in Scranton, proudly served in the Army during the Korean War, then earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He married the love of his life in 1961 and moved to Newtown in April 1962 where they raised two daughters. He started and ended his career on the East Coast with Sikorsky as an aeronautical engineer, having worked on the famous Black Hawk helicopter. He also earned a Master’s degree in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
His love of aeronautics happened quite by accident when he lived in the Bronx before he was married. He went looking for a sailboat to rent and found a seaplane instead and was immediately hooked. He kept his private pilot’s license for many years, taking Lee up in small aircrafts and flying over friends’ houses. He also enjoyed sailing and as a longtime member of the Candlewood Yacht Club, he served as treasurer and made many lifelong friends. Sunday sailboat racing on Candlewood was a family event for decades.
As members of Global Volunteers, he and Lee traveled to Belize to study manatees and porpoises and traveled to Poland to teach adults and children the English language. They trekked to Alaska to see the Northern Lights and cruised the rivers in Europe. They chartered sailboats with family and friends in Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, the Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of Maine. One of their favorite trips was on a small cruising ship that sailed between Tahiti and Fiji, stopping at several small islands along the way to meet the natives and distribute educational materials. After Lee passed, Art continued to travel going to Normandy, France with a Sikorsky buddy and then last summer by himself visiting friends and family in Tennessee and California with his trusty iPhone.
Art enjoyed sports of all kinds, but especially watching and playing tennis. In fact, he continued to play tennis up until just 2 years ago with his son-in-law Mike and best friend Kevin. In retirement, he found his creative side and started painting with watercolors. Art took great joy in life, celebrating every occasion, birthdays, anniversaries and lunches with friends and always with the appropriate beverage. A special favorite was a gin martini, dry, with a twist.
Art was a member of St. Joseph’s of Stratford (Polish) National Catholic Church in Stratford, Connecticut and served as an auditor on the parish board for the last 8 years. When St. Joseph’s resided in Bridgeport in the early 1960’s, Art served as a chairman of the parish. He was a devoted congregant and friend, attending coffee hour after each service, laughing and storytelling with a uniqueness to those who knew him.
A private burial service at graveside will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Art’s church, which he dearly loved. St Joseph’s of Stratford National Catholic Church, 1300 Stratford Rd, Stratford, CT 06615.