Stanley Rudnicki

Albany- Rudnicki, Stanley, 92 died Saturday, June 23rd after a long illness. Born January 1, 1926 in Lvov, Poland (now Lviv, Ukraine), Stanley was the youngest child of Marcel and Pauline (Nictecka) Rudnicki.

During World War II at the age of 16, he was taken prisoner of war after Easter Mass in 1942 and brought initially to Dachau. He worked as a forced laborer for the German forces for about 4 years, spending half of that time on a farm doing hard labor. After 1 ½ years in captivity, Stanley learned his parents, older sister Telofila, and all of his relatives were slain by the German forces. Just as the war came to a close, he escaped with five other prisoners and was captured by the US Army. After the war ended, he worked for the US Army for about eight years, which ironically included guarding captured German soldiers. Afterwards, he was given a choice to join the US Army or move back to Poland. As he had no surviving family, he chose to join the US Army and traveled to Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Korea and Okinawa. He was discharged in 1958 after serving five years.

Fellow soldier Stanley Blaszkow encouraged Stanley to move to the Polish section of Albany on Sheridan Avenue, where he met his future wife Frances. Fellow soldier and lifelong friend Leon Kabzinski helped Stanley find a job at Sterling Winthrop Laboratories in Rensselaer where he worked as a chemical operator for 29 years.

Stanley was an excellent gardener, sharing abundant vegetables with family and friends. He was also a talented carpenter, building and carving items out of wood including a beautiful detailed crucifix of Jesus.

Stanley loved vacationing with his wife and daughters to the Jersey shore, swimming for hours in the ocean, which continued with his grandsons into his 80's. After retirement, he and his wife traveled all over America on bus trips, venturing also to Europe. Stanley's strong faith helped him survive the war and the loss of his family and he instilled this faith in his daughters. He was a simple, happy-go-lucky, young-at-heart man who broke into laughter easily. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren and was mischievous and playful with his grandsons.

Stanley is predeceased by his loving wife, Frances (Krzanik), his parents and his sister, Telofila Rudnicki. Beloved father and grandfather "Dziadziu," Stanley is survived by his daughters, Mary (Robert) Agneta and granddaughter, Allison of Albany; Christine (Thomas) McCann and grandsons, Andrew of Boston and Timothy and Nicholas of Feura Bush.

The family would like to thank his personal doctor, Dr. William Kowal and former nurse, Colleen Foibl for their wonderful care over the years; Dialysis Clinic, Inc. of Albany for their patience and care, and Community Hospice staff.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at 11am at Shrine Church of Our Lady of the America's, 273 Central Ave. Albany, 12206. A calling hour will be held prior starting at 10am at the church. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery, Albany.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to Community Hospice of Albany.