WEBSTER- Edward D. “Bubba” Sitkowski, 77, died Sunday, June 12, 2016 in Dudley, surrounded by his family after an illness.
He leaves his daughter and caregiver, Karen A. Rumbaugh and her companion John Mickelson of Dudley and his daughter, Christine A. & her husband Wes Champagne of Munson; 5 grandchildren, Christopher Rumbaugh, Connor Rumbaugh, Jesse Jalbert, Jaime Jalbert and Cassandra Champagne; his sister, Carolyn A. & her husband Pat Mulligan of Westminster, MD; his close companion Gail Dusty of Uxbridge; several nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy M. (Freid) Sitkowski.
He was born and raised in Webster, the son of Edward C. and Stasia B. (Piasta) Sitkowski. He was a graduate of Bartlett High School class of 1956 and a graduate of the New England School of Embalming and Sanitary Sciences. He attended Nichols College.
Mr. Sitkowski began working with his father at the family funeral home his father founded, at the age of 15. After college, he ran and eventually took over the ownership and management of Sitkowski Funeral Home. After taking on a business partner and eventually selling, he semi-retired to pursue his other life interests. He continued to work at the Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home up until the time of his illness in April.
He served in the Army National Guard. He was a member of Saint Joseph Basilica.
He had a long and enduring love of music, while a student at Saint Joseph’s School, he was a member of Fr. Pete’s Orchestra. He formed his own band at the age of 13. Eddie Sitkowski and his Polka Dots entertained at numerous weddings and many venues, including the first Saint Joseph Church festival. His orchestra reconnected in the 1990’s for countless hours of musical joy. One of Ed’s other passions was bass fishing. He formed the Bay State Bass Masters, a fishing club that held many tournaments and sponsored the St. Joseph Church Boy Scout Troop 173 Fishing Derby for many years. He had won many tournaments throughout his career, including the title “Mr. Bass” for catching the largest amount of bass for the season, a title he held 10 years running. Ed also fished with the professional fishing circuit B.A.S.S. In later years, Ed loved to go to yard sales and flea markets. He set up a booth at the Brimfield Flea Market for several years. He enjoyed gardening and was an avid reader; he was a former member of the Webster Numismatics Club. He was a keen observer of nature, spending many hours at his cottage on Webster Lake studying the wildlife and the weather. He was a fan of the Boston Celtics and the Boston Red Sox. His greatest joy came from the time he spent with his family.
The funeral will be held Friday, June 17, from the Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, 340 School St, with a Mass at 10:00 AM in Saint Joseph Basilica, 53 Whitcomb Street. Burial, with military honors, will be in Saint Joseph Garden of Peace. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M., Thursday, June 16, in the funeral home. Donations in his name may be made to the Friends of Saint Joseph School Fund, 53 Whitcomb Street, Webster, MA 01570.