Phillip John GIERZYNSKI

16 DEC 1937 - 24 JUL 2020

• BIRTH: 16 DEC 1937, South Bend, IN
• DEATH: 24 JUL 2020, South Bend, IN

• MARRIAGE: 26 OCT 1963, St Joseph County, IN

INDEX

[N25131] Phillip John Gierzynski
December 16, 1937 ~ July 24, 2020 (age 82)

Warning! A man named Phillip John Gierzynski, known to terrorize friends, family, and co-workers with bad jokes, rambling stories, and a complete and utter dislike of nouns, passed away just before quitting time on Friday, July 24, 2020, in South Bend Indiana. He could now be anywhere; be on the lookout for a cantankerous old man with uncouth manners and dangerously long, sharp toenails. Phil was born in South Bend in 1937 and spent much of his youth exploring the wilderness near the Michigan-Indiana state line, including building model airplanes, sometimes of his own design to delight himself and friends. After the untimely passing of his father, Joseph Leon Gierzynski, Phil worked to support his mother, Cecelia (nee Radecki) Gierzynski and his two younger brothers, which involved moving to Chicagoland, where Phil would stay, build a career and raise a family. Possessing a mechanical mind and keen eye, Phil worked as a draftsman, a die maker, an auto-body man, and finally as an engineer and engineering manager before retiring. Phil always said that there were three miracles in the world that impressed him; that a man walked on the moon, how a baby is born, and how a sailboat can sail in to the wind. After his marriage to Janicemae Prchal on October 26, 1963, he was able to personally witness the second miracle, and after a life of hard work and planning, he bought himself a sailboat and was able to witness the third for himself as well. Much to his chagrin, Phil never walked on the moon. In 2006, Phil relocated to a farm in rural Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, having visited the Door County area for decades with his wife. Phil enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the wildlife and natural splendor that he found maintaining an old farmhouse and its outbuilding. He put his lifetime of learning the crafts of carpentry, engineering, and general handiness to work keeping up the former Gabert Farm which affectionately became known as the “Time Travel Inn.” His wife, Janicemae, proceeded him in death earlier this year. A memorial will be held in Niles, Michigan, where family will honor his life; a later memorial is planned in Egg Harbor where he and his wife will be returned to the land that they loved so dearly. In lieu of flowers or masses, donations may be directed to the Nutrition Program of the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. While not the best cook, Phil always enjoyed providing a meal for his friends and loved ones. The family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at the Intensive Care Unit of Memorial Hospital for their care and patience which ensured that he was able to say goodbye to his friends and family. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Phillip John Gierzynski, please visit our floral store.