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Aloysius F. Radlinski

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Al, age 101, passed away very peacefully on September 5, 2019 in Sun City, AZ. He was born in Toledo, OH to Joseph and Katherine (Kaszynski) on March 31, 1918. He was the eighth of fourteen children all who predeceased him.

He graduated from St. Stanislaw Grade School and then joined the Civil Conservation Corp. He was paid $30.00/month of which $25.00/month was sent to his family. In southern Ohio he planted trees, worked in the parks and rural areas, and filled sand bags during the 1937 flood in Cincinnati, OH. He volunteered for KP duty to get more food to eat.

Al served in the United States Army from 1942 until 1946. He was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star after he lost his left leg and part of his hip stepping on a land mine going over railroad tracks with his unit in Holland. He spent a year in Percy Jones General Hospital in Battle Creek, MI recovering from his war wounds. Though he was considered 100% disabled, he worked until age 58 (1976) when he retired due to an increasing medical problems. He was employed first as a microfilmer of court documents at the Lucas County Courthouse and then as a shipping and receiving clerk at the Lucas County garage. It was then that he and his wife, Evelyn, sold their home and moved to Sun City, AZ. Al has been a resident in Sun City for 42 years.

Al has always had a commitment to service. He was a founding member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio. Al has also been a member of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church since its founding 40 years ago. In this city of Volunteers, he has been a standout! He has been a member and past president of St. Vincent de Paul Society for over 60 years. He led in the collection of money, food, and clothing for the poor and even found a way to send clothes and hundreds of blankets to the St. Bonaventure School and Indian Mission, in Thoreau, NM. Al was an active member of the Disabled American Veterans for 75 years and the Purple Heart group for 40 years. He held multiple offices in the DAV over the years including commander, service officer, and chaplain. Even at 101 years old, he continued to collect funds in the annual Purple Heart drive, the forget-me-not drive and at the Golden Corral for Camp Corral, a summer camp serving children of active and deceased military. He was the recipient and member of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2010.

(He and Senator John McCain were in the same inductee class together.) At the time of his death, Al was the oldest living recipient of the Purple Heart in Arizona and was so honored at an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game on August 7, 2019. As a proud American and veteran, Al collected, by himself, over $85,000.00 for the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. He Attended with his family both the ground-breaking and dedication for the World War II Memorial and the rededication of the visitor center for the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for which he personally collected thousands of dollars. In 2018 at the DAV Arizona state convention, he received a plaque for his years of service, leadership, and dedication in helping other veterans receive their benefits and as a chaplain providing services and comfort to members and their widowed spouses and families. Al has also been a member of the Catholic Was Vets for 70 plus years. He became a Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus member in Toledo on April 1, 1961.

Al was married to his wife and sweetheart, Evelyn (Sobczak) for 69 and a half years until she died on November, 17, 2012. He had so hoped they could have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary together. Al is survived by his daughter, Judith (Joseph) Janicki; son, Allen (Dee) Radlinski; six grandchildren: Dr. Joseph (Jessica) Janicki, Julie (Anthony Amato) Janicki, Aaron (Meggin) Radlinski, Bradley Radlinski, Jeremy (Tiffany) Janicki, and Craig (Melonie) Radlinski; and 10 great-grandchildren: Andrew, Matthew, Vivian, Eva, Lorenzo, Xavier, Anthony, Theodore, Alex, and Dafne.

Al’s funeral service was held on September 14, 2019 at St. Elizabeth Seton Church in Sun City. Interment will be in the National Cemetery at a future date.