Mr. Jozef J. Gorczynski, 91, died Sunday, February 7th, at Samaritan Medical Center, where he had been a patient for one day.
Jozef was born January 31st, 1930, in Poland, on his mother’s birthday, the son of Jan and Jozefina Kujawa Gorczynski. He had two years of elementary education when German soldiers closed the school. A short time later, he was taken by the Nazi’s to a work camp in Germany called Rodenburg on der Taube, where he became a Holocaust survivor. Lying about his age, when he was 16, he worked for a Polish company protecting a U.S. Airforce Base in France as a Patrol Officer and Gate Keeper.
In 1961, he married the former Gertrude Lutz. She passed away in 1985.
On March 4th, 1998, he married the former Renate Eberle in Germany.
Jozef worked for 49 years on the Ramstein Air Force base in Germany, including 29 years as Manager of the General Canon Hotel, where all the Generals, High Ranking Military Officers, and NATO officers attended meetings.
He was fluent in 4 languages. Jozef and his wife traveled extensively around Europe.
Jozef came to the United States in 2010, where the moved to Clayton.
Surviving besides his wife, Renate, is his children from his first wife, Angelika of Florida, and Monika of Germany; five stepchildren, Margaret Robinson of Georgia, Andreas M. Bartlett of Wallkill, N.Y., Steven R. Bartlett of Dexter, Renee L. Patterson of Georgia, and Ingrid Bartlett of Watertown; seven grandchildren; six great grandchildren; one sister, Wanda Mucha of Poland; nieces and nephews.
One brother, Zygmund, died in 2013 in Poland.
There will be no services at this time, a burial will be held in Clayton Cemetery in the Spring.
Sue streets
I knew Renate through work. Always so sweet. Never met Josef but had talked to him on the phone. Being in customer service you always want to be treated nicely and they have always been kind. My condolences to Renate and the family. Be proud of all he has done. A life well lived. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Please take care.
Agnieszka
Aunt Renata, on behalf of my family, I express my condolences. Uncle Joseph will always be in our hearts. I know how he loved Mieleszyn, where he was born. He also loved Polish mountains. We will miss him. The family in Poland will always remember him.