The Reverend Raymond A. Izbicki, age 85, of Stonington, CT died on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 in Mystic,CT.
He was born in Norwich, CT on December 8, 1921, the son of the late Anthony and Josephine (Izbicki) Izbicki. His stepmother was the late Josephine (Bukofski) Izbicki. He was a graduate of the Norwich Free Academy, Class of 1939.
He moved to New York City at the age of 21 to work with the Columbia Broadcasting System to produce shortwave radio programs and with the Department of State and the Voice of America to produce foreign language programs beamed to Europe during World War II. After the War, he worked with CARE, Inc. in Germany, Yugoslavia, Holland, Italy, and Libya. After serving as the Director of CARE in Italy, he was honored by the Italian President Giovanni Gronchi who bestowed on him the rank of Commander, Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the highest honor that could be granted to a civilian non-head of government, and received a private audience with Pope Pius XII who thanked him for his service to the Italian people.
Later he returned to New York City where he helped to open The Section Eleven Gallery owned by Betty Parsons, the doyenne of contemporary art dealers. He was later appointed Director of The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture.
In 1975 he returned to the Mystic-Stonington area where he opened an art and antiques shop. He retired in 1989. In February 1994, he was ordained a priest in the Anglican (Old Catholic) Church. For the next decade he was associated with St. James Church in Preston, CT. Before his death he had limited his ministry to counseling, visiting the sick, and occasionally conducting funeral and marriage services.
Survivors include a sister-in-law, Bertha Izbicki of Preston, CT, and nieces and nephews. His brother Chester Izbicki predeceased him.
After cremation, there will be a private memorial and burial service.
Contributions in memory of Father Izbicki may be made to The Stonington Village Improvement Association for The James Merrill House Writers In Residence Fund, P. O. Box 18, Stonington, CT 06378.
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