Eli Paczak, 90, of Clark, passed away on Thursday, May 18, 2017, at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie.
Born in Farrell on July 27, 1926, Eli was the son of the late Mike and Anna Turchan Paczak.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and served as a carpenter aboard the troop transport ship USS War Hawk. He survived a Japanese suicide attack on his ship in the Lingayen Gulf on Jan. 10, 1945, while preparing to put 1,000 Army troops ashore on Luzon as part of the Philippine Islands invasion.
After returning home from the war, he worked as a carpenter. Around 1952, he became self-employed, building homes and small apartment buildings in Sharon, Hermitage and Clark. His late brother, John was a partner in the business for much of his career. More than five dozen single family homes and another dozen apartment buildings were built by the pair, or by Eli on his own. He retired from the house building side of his career in the 1970s when mortgage rates hit 17.5 percent.
Eli was affiliated with Hickory VFW Post 6166 and served a term as post commander. In addition to regular Sunday drives throughout Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, he also exposed his children to the wonders of the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Coast, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago and Florida.
At 77, Eli miraculously survived the Nov. 10, 2002, tornado that pulverized his Clark home and left him lying under a pile of rubble in his yard. His son, Mark, rebuilt his home.
Eli is survived by his former wife, Goldie Mayors Paczak of Greenville, his daughter Cynthia Morgan-Gable and her husband, Michael, of Hermitage, his son David and his wife, Lita, of Morrisonville, N.Y., son, Michael and his wife, Kathy, of Falls Church, Va., daughter, Melinda Isachsen of Erie, son Mark of Erie and late son, Bryan's companion of 33 years, Sue Foster of Cortland, Ohio; two grandsons; and a granddaughter.
In addition to his parents, Eli was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Paczak; a grandson, Brian Morgan; three sisters, Anna Haus, May Chernisky and Helen Zagger; and a brother, John Paczak.
Interment: St. John's Orthodox Cemetery.
Born in Farrell on July 27, 1926, Eli was the son of the late Mike and Anna Turchan Paczak.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and served as a carpenter aboard the troop transport ship USS War Hawk. He survived a Japanese suicide attack on his ship in the Lingayen Gulf on Jan. 10, 1945, while preparing to put 1,000 Army troops ashore on Luzon as part of the Philippine Islands invasion.
After returning home from the war, he worked as a carpenter. Around 1952, he became self-employed, building homes and small apartment buildings in Sharon, Hermitage and Clark. His late brother, John was a partner in the business for much of his career. More than five dozen single family homes and another dozen apartment buildings were built by the pair, or by Eli on his own. He retired from the house building side of his career in the 1970s when mortgage rates hit 17.5 percent.
Eli was affiliated with Hickory VFW Post 6166 and served a term as post commander. In addition to regular Sunday drives throughout Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, he also exposed his children to the wonders of the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Coast, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago and Florida.
At 77, Eli miraculously survived the Nov. 10, 2002, tornado that pulverized his Clark home and left him lying under a pile of rubble in his yard. His son, Mark, rebuilt his home.
Eli is survived by his former wife, Goldie Mayors Paczak of Greenville, his daughter Cynthia Morgan-Gable and her husband, Michael, of Hermitage, his son David and his wife, Lita, of Morrisonville, N.Y., son, Michael and his wife, Kathy, of Falls Church, Va., daughter, Melinda Isachsen of Erie, son Mark of Erie and late son, Bryan's companion of 33 years, Sue Foster of Cortland, Ohio; two grandsons; and a granddaughter.
In addition to his parents, Eli was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Paczak; a grandson, Brian Morgan; three sisters, Anna Haus, May Chernisky and Helen Zagger; and a brother, John Paczak.
Interment: St. John's Orthodox Cemetery.
Eli Paczak, 90, of Clark, passed away on Thursday, May 18, 2017, at the Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie.
Born in Farrell on July 27, 1926, Eli was the son of the late Mike and Anna Turchan Paczak.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and served as a carpenter aboard the troop transport ship USS War Hawk. He survived a Japanese suicide attack on his ship in the Lingayen Gulf on Jan. 10, 1945, while preparing to put 1,000 Army troops ashore on Luzon as part of the Philippine Islands invasion.
After returning home from the war, he worked as a carpenter. Around 1952, he became self-employed, building homes and small apartment buildings in Sharon, Hermitage and Clark. His late brother, John was a partner in the business for much of his career. More than five dozen single family homes and another dozen apartment buildings were built by the pair, or by Eli on his own. He retired from the house building side of his career in the 1970s when mortgage rates hit 17.5 percent.
Eli was affiliated with Hickory VFW Post 6166 and served a term as post commander. In addition to regular Sunday drives throughout Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, he also exposed his children to the wonders of the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Coast, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago and Florida.
At 77, Eli miraculously survived the Nov. 10, 2002, tornado that pulverized his Clark home and left him lying under a pile of rubble in his yard. His son, Mark, rebuilt his home.
Eli is survived by his former wife, Goldie Mayors Paczak of Greenville, his daughter Cynthia Morgan-Gable and her husband, Michael, of Hermitage, his son David and his wife, Lita, of Morrisonville, N.Y., son, Michael and his wife, Kathy, of Falls Church, Va., daughter, Melinda Isachsen of Erie, son Mark of Erie and late son, Bryan's companion of 33 years, Sue Foster of Cortland, Ohio; two grandsons; and a granddaughter.
In addition to his parents, Eli was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Paczak; a grandson, Brian Morgan; three sisters, Anna Haus, May Chernisky and Helen Zagger; and a brother, John Paczak.
Interment: St. John's Orthodox Cemetery.
Born in Farrell on July 27, 1926, Eli was the son of the late Mike and Anna Turchan Paczak.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and served as a carpenter aboard the troop transport ship USS War Hawk. He survived a Japanese suicide attack on his ship in the Lingayen Gulf on Jan. 10, 1945, while preparing to put 1,000 Army troops ashore on Luzon as part of the Philippine Islands invasion.
After returning home from the war, he worked as a carpenter. Around 1952, he became self-employed, building homes and small apartment buildings in Sharon, Hermitage and Clark. His late brother, John was a partner in the business for much of his career. More than five dozen single family homes and another dozen apartment buildings were built by the pair, or by Eli on his own. He retired from the house building side of his career in the 1970s when mortgage rates hit 17.5 percent.
Eli was affiliated with Hickory VFW Post 6166 and served a term as post commander. In addition to regular Sunday drives throughout Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, he also exposed his children to the wonders of the Jersey Shore and the Atlantic Coast, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago and Florida.
At 77, Eli miraculously survived the Nov. 10, 2002, tornado that pulverized his Clark home and left him lying under a pile of rubble in his yard. His son, Mark, rebuilt his home.
Eli is survived by his former wife, Goldie Mayors Paczak of Greenville, his daughter Cynthia Morgan-Gable and her husband, Michael, of Hermitage, his son David and his wife, Lita, of Morrisonville, N.Y., son, Michael and his wife, Kathy, of Falls Church, Va., daughter, Melinda Isachsen of Erie, son Mark of Erie and late son, Bryan's companion of 33 years, Sue Foster of Cortland, Ohio; two grandsons; and a granddaughter.
In addition to his parents, Eli was preceded in death by a son, Bryan Paczak; a grandson, Brian Morgan; three sisters, Anna Haus, May Chernisky and Helen Zagger; and a brother, John Paczak.
Interment: St. John's Orthodox Cemetery.
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