Stephen Buczynski

Stephen S. Buczynski, 89, of Marco Island, FL formerly of Zephyrhills, FL and Nashua, NH, passed peacefully to ""Fly with the Angels"" on September 25th 2014. He was born in Franklin, NH on July 24, 1925, the youngest boy of thirteen children, to his parents Michael (Michal) and Katherine (Katarzyna) Biergiel Buczynski. Stephen graduated from Franklin High School at the age of 17. He developed a very early love of flying, and in addition to building many, many model airplanes and with his parents' reluctance, at 17, after graduation, he enlisted to serve his country in the Army Air Corps. He climbed the ranks, becoming a Staff Sargent as a member of the 8th Air Force, 384th Bomb Group, (H) 545th Bomb Squad as a Tail Gunner on a B - 17 aircraft known as the ""Buckeye Bell"". He was based in England and France, flying missions in Europe and North Africa, shot down and survived a "belly landing" in Luxembourg with all crew safe. He was honorably discharged in 1945 and returned home to forge a new future. He worked installing gas stations in New England with his brothers Ed and Stan, and eventually bought and operated a Sunoco station in Suncook, NH. There he met his beautiful and sweet bride Pauline Gloria Richard whom he married in June 1948. Shortly after the birth of their first child, Christina, they moved to Nashua, NH where they raised a daughter, Wanda, son Michael, and another daughter, Stasia. With course work at the Iowa State University and the University of New Hampshire, Stephen worked as a talented mechanical and aeronautical design engineer for multiple companies in the space industry that helped win the race to the moon. He was employed at International Paper Box, Sanders Associates, Baird Atomic, and Avco Corporation, contributing to the launching of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space flights. As a final notch in his career before retiring, Stephen, in his 50s, attained the position of Captain for the US Customs and Border Patrol located at Boston Logan Airport. As one of the first ""Sky Marshalls"", this work took him to dozens of countries and a myriad of adventures around the globe. Stephen had many hobbies which he enjoyed, including tending the beautiful vegetable gardens he created, and puttering around his basement and garage workshops. It seemed there was nothing he could not do, fix or build. He meticulously created hand sketched drawings of items he wanted to make and share with his children. To him, these projects were a labor of love for everyone in the family to enjoy for all time. Stephen also was supportive of his extended family as well. On many occasions he offered home and comfort to family and Polish immigrant friends who needed love and guidance in their life's journeys. Besides his family and his grandchildren which brought him constant love and joy, he enjoyed singing with the church choir, singing the occasional ribald "ditties"(not with the church choir), listening to Polish music and playing the concertina. He enjoyed weekend visits to family in the north country, hunting, fishing and doing home projects with his daughters and sons-in-law, birdwatching, and building and operating model radio controlled airplanes. Steve loved everything Polish, and made it a point to travel to Poland to visit family in 1961 and 1983. His most beloved dream which he fulfilled was to be able to fly a plane, receiving his pilot's license and making a solo flight on September 30, 1983. Unfortunately, in that same year, he lost the love of his life, his wife Pauline Gloria (Richard) Buczynski. In 1990, Steve decided to ""stretch his wings"" and moved from Nashua, NH to a new home in Zephyrhills, Florida. In the summer of 1992 while visiting family in NH, Steve met and fell in love with Pauline Campbell of Pembroke, N.H., who would become his constant, devoted and loving companion for 22 years. Together they enjoyed family and friends in Zephyrhills, FL until 1998 when they moved and settled on Marco Island, FL. Steve was an extraordinarily bright, generous, loving and caring man, always instilling in his family the important values in which he believed: independence, education, hard work, perseverance, service to others, honesty and integrity. He will be forever remembered and cherished in their hearts for all eternity. He was one of the good guys and a member of the greatest generation. Stephen was a communicant of St. Stanislaus Church, in Nashua, NH and San Marco Catholic Church in Marco Island, FL and a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Polish American Clubs of Franklin, NH and Nashua, NH. He was predeceased by his wife, Pauline (Richard) Buczynski, brothers Walter (Pete), Edward, and Stanley, all of Franklin, NH and his sisters Louise Kobis of Cartaret, NJ, Stella Robinson of Franklin, NH and Leona Dearborn of Bristol, NH. He leaves behind his loving partner, Pauline Campbell of Marco Island, FL and Pembroke, NH; his sister Cecile Freeman of Franklin, NH; his son, Michael W. Buczynski of Knoxville TN and three daughters, Christina E. Garand and her husband Daniel of Tucson, AZ; Wanda L. Buczynski and her husband David Keyes of Chebeague Island, ME and Stasia M. Pascar and her husband Richard of Nashua, N.H. He also leaves three cherished grandchildren, Elizabeth, Abigail and Stephen Buczynski and many nieces, nephews and cousins. A gathering of friends and family will be held on Thursday, May 14 from 5-7PM At Thibault-Neun Funeral Home, 143 Franklin St. in Franklin. A Mass celebrating his life will be held at 10 AM Friday, May 15th at St. Paul's Church on School Street in Franklin, NH with a private burial service immediately after at Holy Cross Cemetery in Franklin. For directions and an online guestbook, please visit www.neunfuneralhomes.com