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"My father always spoke about Chester with such fond memories. He lived there
from the time he was born in 1936 until we moved when I was 3 in 1966. This
is the obit I wrote when he died on March 19, 2001:"
- Debbie Luczak Hoffman, Saraken@aol.com
Harold "Hal" Edward
Luczak
Harold Edward Luczak, known as “Hal” to his friends, died Monday at his
Colonia (N.J.) home with his wife of 38 years, the former Helena Huzva, by
his side. He was 64.
“My dad put my mother on a pedastal,” daughter Debbie Luczak Hoffman said.
“Up to his last breath, he wanted to make sure that Mom was taken care of.”
He also idolized his three daughters, Debbie, Donna Bodnar and Mieka
Droney. “He would walk into a room with his family and always announce that he was
surrounded by the four most beautiful women in the place,” Debbie said.
Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, Hal lived briefly in Collinsville, Illinois,
before moving to Colonia 33 years ago.
A graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia and Newark College of Engineering (now NJIT), Hal spent his entire career working for
Allied Signal Corp. (now Honeywell). He retired as manager of maintenance and engineering
at the company’s Elizabeth plant a few years ago. Before college, Hal graduated from Chester (Pa.) High
School, where he was on the track and basketball teams and president of his graduating class.
Outside of work, Hal was a past president of the St. Demetrius Men’s Club in
Carteret, a board member of the Springwood Swim Club in Colonia and a former
longtime member of the Corona Construction softball team. “No matter how the
game was going, Hal always said ‘big inning,’’” friend and former team
manager Artie Palumbo said.
Hal was a lifelong fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, much to the chagrin of Giants fans Artie and Hank Palumbo.
Hal is predeceased by his parents, John and Anna Luczak, his sisters Mary Luczak and Kathryn Basara, and his brothers Nicholas,
Walter and Michael.
Besides his wife and daughters, he is survived by sons-in-laws Michael Hoffman and John Bodnar and grandchildren Amanda and
Jonathon Bodnar, Sara and Kenny Hoffman and Samantha and Christopher
Droney. He is also survived by sisters Irene DeNight and Julia Sywy and brother Joe Luczak, all of Delaware.
There are also 29 nieces and nephews.
Before Hal lost his six-year battle with cancer, he asked that in lieu of flowers, that friends make donations to the American Cancer
Society so that they can fund the research to prevent others from suffering from this tragic
disease.
Internment will be at St. Andrews Ukrainian Cemetary in South Bound Brook,
NJ.
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