Stanley J. Owczarski, 68
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Stanley John Owczarski, 68, of North Adams, died suddenly Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015, at his home.
Born in North Adams on July 7, 1947, son of Stanley John Owczarski Sr. and Doris E. Hiser Owczarski, he graduated from Drury High School with the class of 1965 and from the former St. Joseph's College in Bennington, Vt., with an associate's degree in business administration.
Mr. Owczarski was employed by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for 40 years until his retirement. Before that, he worked at the former Budd Paper Co. in Adams.
He was a communicant of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church and of St. John Bosco Church in Stamford, Vt., where he served as Eucharistic minister and was a member of its Finance Council.
In his younger years, he taught Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. He volunteered in the Big Brother program and also coached Pee Wee Football. He was a longtime member of the Northern Berkshire YMCA and a certified Red Cross CPR instructor.
Mr. Owczarski was a member of the National Ski Patrol at Berkshire East and had served as its Western Mass regional director. He was also the assistant director of the Berkshire East Ski Patrol and was a zipline guide there.
From 1992 to 2000, he organized the annual "Rock and Rut Mountain Bike Festival" in memory of his father to raise money for charitable organizations in the area. Most recently, he worked at the Friendship Center Food Pantry and was a member of its board of directors. He joined Alan Horbal in placing American flags throughout the community to honor veterans.
An avid bicyclist, he met his annual goal this year of 2,000 miles on his road bike. He was devoted to his family and enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Long hikes with his dog, Shambles, were a most important part of every day.
He also volunteered at Sullivan School in Mrs. Reardon's fourth grade class for five years. One of the students summed him up best in these words: "Mr. O. looks like a normal guy, but he's spectacular inside."
He leaves his wife, the former Joan C. Mastroianni, whom he married on Oct. 13, 1973; three daughters, October Cellana and her husband, Arlen, and Maris Owczarski and her partner, Robert Reynolds, all of North Adams, and Danielle Owczarski and her husband, Jim Deshler, of Cambridge, Vt.; a son, Damien Owczarski of Cambridge, Vt.; a sister, Barbara Luscia and her husband, Edward, of Pownal, Vt.; four grandchildren, Silas and Sawyer Cellana and Carmela and Wyatt Reynolds, and nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his brother, Robert Owczarski.
FUNERAL NOTICE — A Liturgy of Christian Burial for Mr. Owczarski will be celebrated Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 9 a.m. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church. Burial will be private.
Calling hours will be Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 4 to 7 at Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Vincent dePaul Conference at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church; the Friendship Center Food Pantry or the Berkshire Humane Society in care of the funeral home.