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May 18, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held privately.
Walter Stanchak, age 86 of Wayne, died peacefully with his family gathered at his bedside on Sunday, May 18, 2014. He was one of our own; a dedicated funeral director here at Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home since 1984.
Walter was born at home, in Clifton, NJ. His house was located at the intersection of Grunwald Street and Van Houten Avenue. They lived above a tavern, in the rear apartment, where he was delivered by a midwife named Rose Miketa. He lived in Clifton for thirty seven years before moving to Wayne in 1963.
During his second year at Clifton high school, Walter was called to serve his country and enlisted in the US Navy. Frankly speaking, he was too young to enlist but anxious to serve so one of his older brothers forged the papers and off he went to basic training. His three brothers were already serving in the Army and they advised Walt to join the Navy to avoid the same experiences they had each endured. Sadly, his brother Nick was killed during a bombing mission over Germany. Walt went to boot camp in Sampson, NY and was sent to San Diego, CA where he was placed on the USS Biloxi, a light cruiser destined for Okinawa, presumably being sent in preparation for the invasion of Japan. He stopped over in Honolulu, HI for two weeks and was transferred to the USS Casablanca, a “baby carrier” that was loaded with all kinds of military equipment like jeeps, tanks, etc. When his ship was sailing west, just one day away from Guam, word came of the Japanese surrender. Walter subsequently spent six months on Guam where he and some Navy guys got their hands on an Army tanker truck, transforming it into a fire truck for the islanders. While on island, he got a severe case of “jungle rot” on his arms and legs and was transferred to the hospital ship “Hope” which took him to San Francisco, CA. He spent a couple of days in the hospital there and was transferred to a hospital train destined for Philadelphia. Along the way the steam train would make water stops. On one particular stop along the way, just two days before Thanksgiving 1945, the train stopped in a Wyoming town for water. A group of locals who were all aware that this was a hospital train, brought all kinds of cooked food, a feast, for the sick and wounded troops. Walter, who was always up for a good time, devised a plan. At the next water stop, which he knew would last only about twenty minutes, he and a couple others would jump off the train and find a saloon. They pooled together money from all the guys in their train car and made a break for it. When they entered the saloon, the bar tender knew where they had come from and refused to take their money. He gave them some bottles of whiskey for free and they made it back to the train just in time! As only a bunch of drunken sailors could do, they had a memorable Thanksgiving aboard the train that night.
After being cured of his jungle rot in a Philadelphia hospital, Walter was assigned to the USS Schmidt 76, an Attack Personnel Destroyer, with a notation on his papers “do not send this man to a hot climate”. The USS Schmidt 76 then embarked on a mission to, of all places, Cuba. Walter’s jungle rot came right back! While recovering in the hospital in Cuba, Walt was referred to as an “up” patient, because he wasn’t bed ridden. They assigned him some light duty as assistant to Chester Machuck, the morgue keeper and embalmer at the hospital. Chester quickly noticed that Walt had no fear and was very caring and conscientious in his treatment of the dead. Chester, who happened to be from Wallington, NJ, right next to Clifton, recommended that Walt find a career in funeral service after the Navy. Walt told him he was nuts! However, after working in a textile mill for a few months after the War, Walt realized that he needed a better career. He worked for several funeral directors in those early years, making $20 per week salary. Most were unwilling to teach him much of anything. In 1948, his fortune changed when Walt was introduced to Paul Ippolito, Jr., a funeral director in Orange, NJ. The Ippolitos treated him like a son and taught him what it really meant to be a funeral director, and he never forgot their kindness. Since that day, Walt has been forever grateful to Mr. Ippolito and his family for the guidance and opportunity they provided. Mr. Ippolito even helped Walter open his first funeral home and their friendship lasted for many years thereafter.
Walter’s greatest achievement of all, was marrying his beloved wife Emily. Emily, who was originally from Chicago, had recently moved into the house across the street from Walter in the mid-1940's, just when he got out of the Navy. They dated for a brief while, which was all it took for Walter to know she was special. They were married on June 4, 1950 and moved into an unfinished attic room over Walter’s parent’s apartment. They didn’t have two nickels to rub together, but they had each other. Emily worked while Walt went to school and she supported him while he began his funeral director career. Walter felt guilty that his new bride had to work so hard to support them, but he was focused on his career and knew brighter days were ahead of them. Walt opened up his own funeral home, the Stanchak Funeral Home, on Van Houten Avenue in Clifton in 1953. There were a lot of funeral homes in Clifton, so Walt soon decided to move to Wayne where he opened the Park View Funeral Home in 1963. He purchased the old Methodist Church in the Mountain View section of town and served the Wayne and Lincoln Park communities for more than twenty years. Emily was by his side through it all, working at the funeral home and raising a family at the same time. Together, they enjoyed nearly sixty four years of marriage and Emily will miss him dearly.
Walter was grateful for everything he had and ‘giving back’ to the community was important to him. He became a volunteer fireman with Community Fire Company #1 in Wayne, and he took an active role with the Lions Club of Lincoln Park. Walter was also a Mason and considering that the Lodge was right next door to his funeral home in Mountain View, he could often be found there too. His involvement in those organizations earned him so many wonderful friends over the years and he truly cherished those people in his life. He was a loyal friend and would do anything to help you; all you had to do was ask and Walt would be there for you. Sadly, Walter buried many of those dear friends during his long career as a funeral director, but he also leaves behind many more who will forever miss his smile, his kindness, and his candor.
Walter is survived by his beloved wife Emily, his three children; Linda Adamo and her husband Joe Barrow of Brick, John Stanchak and his wife Nancy of Wayne, and Jo Ann Cavallo and her husband Joe of Wayne, six grandchildren; Michael Adamo of Totowa, Daniel Adamo of Little Falls, Jessica Morrison and her husband Scott of Hoboken, John Stanchak and his wife Amy of Hoboken, and Samantha and Joseph Cavallo of Wayne.
Donations in Walt’s memory would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held privately.
May 18, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, May 22, 2014 from 4-8 PM. Funeral Services will be held privately.
Walter Stanchak, age 86 of Wayne, died peacefully with his family gathered at his bedside on Sunday, May 18, 2014. He was one of our own; a dedicated funeral director here at Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home since 1984.
Walter was born at home, in Clifton, NJ. His house was located at the intersection of Grunwald Street and Van Houten Avenue. They lived above a tavern, in the rear apartment, where he was delivered by a midwife named Rose Miketa. He lived in Clifton for thirty seven years before moving to Wayne in 1963.
During his second year at Clifton high school, Walter was called to serve his country and enlisted in the US Navy. Frankly speaking, he was too young to enlist but anxious to serve so one of his older brothers forged the papers and off he went to basic training. His three brothers were already serving in the Army and they advised Walt to join the Navy to avoid the same experiences they had each endured. Sadly, his brother Nick was killed during a bombing mission over Germany. Walt went to boot camp in Sampson, NY and was sent to San Diego, CA where he was placed on the USS Biloxi, a light cruiser destined for Okinawa, presumably being sent in preparation for the invasion of Japan. He stopped over in Honolulu, HI for two weeks and was transferred to the USS Casablanca, a “baby carrier” that was loaded with all kinds of military equipment like jeeps, tanks, etc. When his ship was sailing west, just one day away from Guam, word came of the Japanese surrender. Walter subsequently spent six months on Guam where he and some Navy guys got their hands on an Army tanker truck, transforming it into a fire truck for the islanders. While on island, he got a severe case of “jungle rot” on his arms and legs and was transferred to the hospital ship “Hope” which took him to San Francisco, CA. He spent a couple of days in the hospital there and was transferred to a hospital train destined for Philadelphia. Along the way the steam train would make water stops. On one particular stop along the way, just two days before Thanksgiving 1945, the train stopped in a Wyoming town for water. A group of locals who were all aware that this was a hospital train, brought all kinds of cooked food, a feast, for the sick and wounded troops. Walter, who was always up for a good time, devised a plan. At the next water stop, which he knew would last only about twenty minutes, he and a couple others would jump off the train and find a saloon. They pooled together money from all the guys in their train car and made a break for it. When they entered the saloon, the bar tender knew where they had come from and refused to take their money. He gave them some bottles of whiskey for free and they made it back to the train just in time! As only a bunch of drunken sailors could do, they had a memorable Thanksgiving aboard the train that night.
After being cured of his jungle rot in a Philadelphia hospital, Walter was assigned to the USS Schmidt 76, an Attack Personnel Destroyer, with a notation on his papers “do not send this man to a hot climate”. The USS Schmidt 76 then embarked on a mission to, of all places, Cuba. Walter’s jungle rot came right back! While recovering in the hospital in Cuba, Walt was referred to as an “up” patient, because he wasn’t bed ridden. They assigned him some light duty as assistant to Chester Machuck, the morgue keeper and embalmer at the hospital. Chester quickly noticed that Walt had no fear and was very caring and conscientious in his treatment of the dead. Chester, who happened to be from Wallington, NJ, right next to Clifton, recommended that Walt find a career in funeral service after the Navy. Walt told him he was nuts! However, after working in a textile mill for a few months after the War, Walt realized that he needed a better career. He worked for several funeral directors in those early years, making $20 per week salary. Most were unwilling to teach him much of anything. In 1948, his fortune changed when Walt was introduced to Paul Ippolito, Jr., a funeral director in Orange, NJ. The Ippolitos treated him like a son and taught him what it really meant to be a funeral director, and he never forgot their kindness. Since that day, Walt has been forever grateful to Mr. Ippolito and his family for the guidance and opportunity they provided. Mr. Ippolito even helped Walter open his first funeral home and their friendship lasted for many years thereafter.
Walter’s greatest achievement of all, was marrying his beloved wife Emily. Emily, who was originally from Chicago, had recently moved into the house across the street from Walter in the mid-1940's, just when he got out of the Navy. They dated for a brief while, which was all it took for Walter to know she was special. They were married on June 4, 1950 and moved into an unfinished attic room over Walter’s parent’s apartment. They didn’t have two nickels to rub together, but they had each other. Emily worked while Walt went to school and she supported him while he began his funeral director career. Walter felt guilty that his new bride had to work so hard to support them, but he was focused on his career and knew brighter days were ahead of them. Walt opened up his own funeral home, the Stanchak Funeral Home, on Van Houten Avenue in Clifton in 1953. There were a lot of funeral homes in Clifton, so Walt soon decided to move to Wayne where he opened the Park View Funeral Home in 1963. He purchased the old Methodist Church in the Mountain View section of town and served the Wayne and Lincoln Park communities for more than twenty years. Emily was by his side through it all, working at the funeral home and raising a family at the same time. Together, they enjoyed nearly sixty four years of marriage and Emily will miss him dearly.
Walter was grateful for everything he had and ‘giving back’ to the community was important to him. He became a volunteer fireman with Community Fire Company #1 in Wayne, and he took an active role with the Lions Club of Lincoln Park. Walter was also a Mason and considering that the Lodge was right next door to his funeral home in Mountain View, he could often be found there too. His involvement in those organizations earned him so many wonderful friends over the years and he truly cherished those people in his life. He was a loyal friend and would do anything to help you; all you had to do was ask and Walt would be there for you. Sadly, Walter buried many of those dear friends during his long career as a funeral director, but he also leaves behind many more who will forever miss his smile, his kindness, and his candor.
Walter is survived by his beloved wife Emily, his three children; Linda Adamo and her husband Joe Barrow of Brick, John Stanchak and his wife Nancy of Wayne, and Jo Ann Cavallo and her husband Joe of Wayne, six grandchildren; Michael Adamo of Totowa, Daniel Adamo of Little Falls, Jessica Morrison and her husband Scott of Hoboken, John Stanchak and his wife Amy of Hoboken, and Samantha and Joseph Cavallo of Wayne.
Donations in Walt’s memory would be greatly appreciated. Please consider the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.
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