Joseph A. Skwarek, 92,
of Rome, passed away peacefully on Sunday,
February 28, 2016. He was born on April 14, 1923
in Rome. He was a graduate of St. Aloysius
Academy and went to Ithaca College on an
athletic scholarship and was a three sport
performer. He also earned varsity letters at
Hobart College while with the Navy V-12 program.
On June 9, 1951 he married Barbara Hartigan in
Farmingdale, LI. She passed away on July 1,
1998.
Joe enlisted in the Navy
during World War II and was commissioned as a
deck officer from the Cornell University
Midshipman School, serving in the Mediterranean
Theater with the amphibious fleet.
After being honorably
discharged from the Navy, Joe became a member of
the physical education department of the Rome
City School District in 1948. During his 40 year
career he coached a variety of varsity and
modified teams, including baseball, basketball,
football and cross country and spent 18 years as
an athletic trainer for the football team. Coach
Skwarek led the RFA Black Knights varsity
baseball team for 27 seasons and led them to
seven COL championships and a Section III title.
He was also the first cross country coach at
RFA.
Coach Skwarek was active in
the community. He was on the fundraising
committees for RFA Stadium and Kennedy Arena and
spent 16 years as the assistant to the
superintendent of recreation of the City of Rome
and two years as superintendent. In 2004, he was
inducted into the Rome Sports Hall of Fame.
Joe is survived by two sons
and daughters-in-law, Gary M. and Sandra K.
Skwarek and Joseph M. and Rita L. Hartigan; two
grandchildren, Alex and Jessica Skwarek; a half
brother, Frank Civiok; and several nieces and
nephews. He was predeceased by three sisters,
Helen Domagal, Jane Kozik and Mary Anne
Belensky.
Funeral services will be
held on Thursday from Nunn and Harper Funeral
Home, Inc., 418 N. George St., Rome, at 10:30
a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at
Transfiguration Church at 11:00 a.m., with the
Rev. Paul Angelicchio officiating. Interment
will take place in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Family
and friends are invited to call at the funeral
home on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m.
You may light a candle,
send a message of sympathy and view the obituary
at www.nunnandharper.com.
