Obituaries

Stephen T. Warzoha Jr., 89; WW II Veteran, Firefighter, Church Volunteer

Calling hours will be held Thursday with funeral services set for Friday.


Stephen T. Warzoha Jr. died on Monday, May 13 at his Greenwich home after an extended illness. He was 89.

He was born in Port Chester on Feb 1, 1924, the oldest son of the late Stephen T. Warzoha Sr. and Ann Ziemba Warzoha.

Mr. Warzoha graduated Port Chester High School in 1942. He lettered in track and field and was a member of the band's drum line. Upon graduation, he joined the United States Army. He proudly served his country during World War II in the southwestern Pacific theater with the 5th Army Air Corps 79th Airdrome A-20 light bomber unit. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a former member of the Ninth District Veterans in Glenville, according to his son Dan, Greenwich's Emergency Management Director.

Upon his return from military service, he joined the Putnam Engine and Hose Company No. 2 of the Port Chester Fire Department and remained an active member until the time of his death, attaining the rank of captain. He began his 40-year career in circulation sales at the Daily Item in Port Chester, NY, retiring as a member of the Gannett newspaper administration in 1992.

Mr. Warzoha was an active member of the Greenwich and Glenville community, including 17 years spent as a member of the Greenwich Special Police attaining the rank of corporal. He was one of the first certified Emergency Medical Technicians in the Town of Greenwich in 1971, according to his son.
"Back then the (Greenwich) police department ran the ambulance and as a special police officer he did a lot of ambulance calls. He took the first EMT course when it was offered in Greenwich in 1971," Dan recalled.

Mr. Warzoha was a devoted parishioner of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church of Glenville and in 2006, was awarded the St. Augustine Medal by Bishop William Lori for his many years of dedicated service.

"He was very active in St. Paul's. When they had the Holy Name Society, he was president for many years," Dan said. Mr. Warzoha also was head usher for the church for many years and a member of a group of retired men who were altar servers for funeral services. "He served more than 250 funerals," Dan said.

"He was always the go-to guy when they needed something done. When the parish priests would go away on vacation, he was the escort for the visiting priests. He was the bird dog that would show them around town," Dan recalled.

Mr. Warzoha will be deeply missed by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 61 years Claire (Gawroniak) Warzoha and his three children, Dan and his wife Diane Warzoha of Greenwich, Deborah and Kevin Lynch of Cortlandt Manor, NY and Robert and Denise Warzoha of Greenwich. He also is survived by his six grandchlidren, who he loved and was deeply proud of, Stephen, Lauren, Daniel, Douglas, Justin and Meaghan.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers Joseph and Theodore.

The Warzoha family is deeply grateful to Dr. Jeffrey Puglisi and his entire staff for all that they have done.

Family and friends are invited to visit at the Castiglione Funeral Home 134 Hamilton Ave., Greenwich, on Thursday, May 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 17 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 84 Sherwood Ave., Greenwich. Interment will take place at St. Mary's Cemetery, Greenwich.
 
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Steve's memory to St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 84 Sherwood Ave., Greenwich CT 06831 or the Putnam Engine and Hose Company, P.O. Box 933, Port Chester NY, 10573.

To leave online condolences, visit www.castigleonefh.com.


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