Obituary for James E. "Jim" Sczepanski
Mr. James Edmund “Jim” Sczepanski, 81, of Fayetteville, PA passed away Friday, October 16, 2020.
Jim began his life in Forest Hills, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the only son of the late John and Helen (Gartland) Sczepanski.
Jim is survived by his adoring wife, his two children and their spouses, his four grandchildren, a great-grandchild, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, his nephews, their spouses and families, cousins, and countless treasured, and many decades-long, friendships.
He met the love of his life, Kathleen “Kathy”, in 1957, and they remained inseparable from that moment on. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1957, and earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Pitt in 1961, where he was the manager of the marching band, and a member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. 1962 was an amazing year for Jim; he married the love of his life and moved with his new bride to the Washington, D.C. suburbs. In 1967 Jim earned his Masters of Engineering Administration from George Washington University. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus.
His career as an electrical engineer for defense contractors under the Department of the Army afforded him the opportunity to work on a variety of programs, and he was instrumental in the development of communication systems and armaments in defense of this country he loved.
A lover of sports, he was an avid golfer and an even more avid baseball player. He played baseball throughout his childhood and earned the neighborhood title “All-Dump”, a reflection of where they played their sandlot games. As an adult, he transitioned to softball and turned this passion into a softball “career” spanning decades well into his 70s. He earned way too many trophies and five national championship rings. One of his favorite places to be was on the field, where he spent years behind the plate as a catcher and on the mound pitching. In his later years, he managed several travel-tournament teams and played all throughout the country. In 2015, at the age of 75, he coached his team in the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, winning the Gold Medal for this sport he so enjoyed. When not on the field or on the golf course, he could often be found on the dance floor polka dancing with his love.
His greatest love, however, was the family he created with Kathy and their two children. His friendships, some of more than 75 years, were true and deep, and those he counted as friends became family. His love for Church, his wife and children, and for his extended family was unending and boundless.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 P.M., Thursday, October 22, 2020, in Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 320 Philadelphia Avenue Chambersburg, with the Rev. Richard Lyons officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Thursday afternoon in the Thomas L Geisel Funeral Home, 333 Falling Spring Road, Chambersburg. CDC social distancing and mask requirements will be in place.
A public burial service and interment will be held 1:00 P.M., Saturday, October 24, 2020 in the New Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, 1443 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles, PA 15137. Due to current restrictions, no reception will follow. A celebration of Jim’s life will be arranged at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Cure HHT Foundation in Jim’s honor https://curehht.org/ or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org/. If you feel you would like to send flowers, please no lilies due to family allergies.
Condolences and memories may be shared on his Book of Memories page at geiselfuneralhome.com.
Jim began his life in Forest Hills, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the only son of the late John and Helen (Gartland) Sczepanski.
Jim is survived by his adoring wife, his two children and their spouses, his four grandchildren, a great-grandchild, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, his nephews, their spouses and families, cousins, and countless treasured, and many decades-long, friendships.
He met the love of his life, Kathleen “Kathy”, in 1957, and they remained inseparable from that moment on. He graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1957, and earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Pitt in 1961, where he was the manager of the marching band, and a member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. 1962 was an amazing year for Jim; he married the love of his life and moved with his new bride to the Washington, D.C. suburbs. In 1967 Jim earned his Masters of Engineering Administration from George Washington University. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus.
His career as an electrical engineer for defense contractors under the Department of the Army afforded him the opportunity to work on a variety of programs, and he was instrumental in the development of communication systems and armaments in defense of this country he loved.
A lover of sports, he was an avid golfer and an even more avid baseball player. He played baseball throughout his childhood and earned the neighborhood title “All-Dump”, a reflection of where they played their sandlot games. As an adult, he transitioned to softball and turned this passion into a softball “career” spanning decades well into his 70s. He earned way too many trophies and five national championship rings. One of his favorite places to be was on the field, where he spent years behind the plate as a catcher and on the mound pitching. In his later years, he managed several travel-tournament teams and played all throughout the country. In 2015, at the age of 75, he coached his team in the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, winning the Gold Medal for this sport he so enjoyed. When not on the field or on the golf course, he could often be found on the dance floor polka dancing with his love.
His greatest love, however, was the family he created with Kathy and their two children. His friendships, some of more than 75 years, were true and deep, and those he counted as friends became family. His love for Church, his wife and children, and for his extended family was unending and boundless.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 P.M., Thursday, October 22, 2020, in Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 320 Philadelphia Avenue Chambersburg, with the Rev. Richard Lyons officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Thursday afternoon in the Thomas L Geisel Funeral Home, 333 Falling Spring Road, Chambersburg. CDC social distancing and mask requirements will be in place.
A public burial service and interment will be held 1:00 P.M., Saturday, October 24, 2020 in the New Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, 1443 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles, PA 15137. Due to current restrictions, no reception will follow. A celebration of Jim’s life will be arranged at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Cure HHT Foundation in Jim’s honor https://curehht.org/ or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org/. If you feel you would like to send flowers, please no lilies due to family allergies.
Condolences and memories may be shared on his Book of Memories page at geiselfuneralhome.com.