WEBSTER – Stephan Gornis, 90, died Sunday, January 18, 2015 at the TCU at Hubbard after an illness. His wife of 39 years, Karolina A. (Gajewski) Gornis, died in 1984.
He leaves 2 sons, John S. Gornis and Joseph A. Gornis, both of Webster; 2 daughters, Christine Czesnowski of Webster, and Theresa M. & her husband Dwayne Levasseur of Dudley; 1 grandson, Jacob S. Levasseur; a sister, Ludwika Gonet of Zarki, Poland; nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Maria Gornis in 1947, a brother, Jozef Gornis and a sister, Julia Walach.
He was born in Zarki, Poland, a son of Jan & Maria (Kosowska) Gornis.
Mr. Gornis met his wife when they both were prisoners of war in a concentration camp in Germany during World War II. They married after the war and moved to Dudley in 1951, eventually settling in Webster. After liberation from the concentration camp, he served as a medic for 2 years for the United States Army in Germany.
He worked as a maintenance man for Webster Spring in Oxford. He retired in 1990.
He was a communicant of Saint Joseph Basilica. He was an avid gardener and enjoyed spending many hours in his flower and vegetable gardens. He raised racing pigeons and rabbits, he also enjoyed fishing.
The funeral will be held Friday, January 23, from the Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, 340 School St., Webster, with a Mass at 10:00 AM in Saint Joseph Basilica, 53 Whitcomb Street. Burial will be in Saint Joseph Garden of Peace. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM Thursday, January 22, in the funeral home. Donations in his memory may be made to the Saint Joseph School Immediate Needs Fund, 53 Whitcomb Street, Webster, MA 01570.