Stanley Kijewski Obituary Stanley Joseph Kijewski July 4, 1937 October 27, 2022 Stanley Joseph Kijewski, 85, passed away on Thursday, October 27, 2022, in Minneapolis, MN. His loving daughter, Lori, was by his side. Stan, or "Stache," (a common Polish diminutive for the name Stanislaus, a cognate of the English name Stanley) was born and raised in Philadelphia, the fourth childand second sonof Julian and Beatrice ("Stella") Kijewski, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Polish-American family lived in a West Philadelphia neighborhood on Brown Street, near the Philadelphia Art Museum. Stan attended Catholic grammar school along with his two brothers and three sisters, followed by West Catholic Boys High School, whence he graduated in 1955. Stan met Agnes "Pat" Wesolowski (also of Philadelphia) at a dance in 1956. They married in 1958 and soon started a family. Stan worked around the clock as a father, student, and cab driver as he put himself through school. He graduated from Drexel University in 1965 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. As their family grew, the couple relocated to the Philadelphia suburbsfirst to Bucks County and, later, to Chester County. They remained in the greater Philadelphia area until 2017, when they relocated to Arizona to be closer to their second son, John, and daughter-in-law, Linda. As Pat and Stans health declined, they moved to Minnesotaknown for its top-notch healthcarewhere their first daughter, Lori (and later, their firstborn son, Tom), lived. Stan devoted his life to supporting his family. Lightning fast with "simple" math calculations and a sense of humor, his intellect and charisma not only enabled him to make friends easily, but also propelled his long and successful career. After working at RCA, he landed his first "big break" at software giant IBM, where he spent nearly two decades before taking on new professional challenges in the utilities industry. His work in information technologyfrom sales to leadership positions to consulting engagements with the World Banktook him all over the world, from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan, to Hungary, India, Croatia and Macedonia. Stans work enabled him to provide his family with experiences he never had while growing up. Many of these revolved around travel, cultural events (particularly those celebrating Stan and Pats Polish heritage), music and food. His love of global cuisinesparticularly Chinese, Indian, Mexican and, of course, the Polish fare of his youthwas the perfect complement to Pats love of cooking. The family enjoying trying new restaurants, although Stans impatience for inattentive servers, backed-up kitchens or cold food was the stuff of legend that would make a Top Chef judge proud. It was a sort of assertiveness training for his young children, who sought shelter under the table or behind a menu. "Dad, youre embarrassing us," wed say. "When youre the one paying the check, youll see," hed reply. He and Pat bravely led their young "waddling duck family" on several memorable road trips within the United States, including a 23-day journey across the country in the summer of 1975. Combining one of Stans business trips with a family vacation, they visited White Sands National Monument and Yellowstone National Park as they traversed 18 states. In the summer of 1977, Stan rented an RV to take the family on a tour of the Great Smoky Mountains. That adventure resulted in the loss of the RVs step, awning, Stans rental deposit and interest in future RV travel. Stan brought Pat on many of his overseas trips, visiting cities in England, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and (perhaps most significantly, because of his familys heritage) Poland. While they enjoyed experiencing different countries and cultures, Stan and Pat consistently sought opportunities to travel to or with family, with Stan arranging family get-togethers in Arizona and California, as well as family cruises touring Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Mexico. While Stans work fueled his sense of adventure and accomplishment, he derived joy from simple pleasuresthe Sunday paper, a glass of wine, classical music, bridge, crossword puzzles and cryptograms, borderline obsessive lawn care (a ritual that concluded with a cold beer, a cigar and a hearty laugh with a neighbor), and TV shows such as Jeopardy, The World at War, Seinfeld, and Downton Abbey. In recent years, however, his favorite activity was simply being with his family. He loved spending time with his childrenwhether over the phone, a meal, or a Philadelphia Eagles game. He cherished time spent with his sisters and brothers-in-law; at every opportunity, he and Pat would meet up with family at a designated Maryland restaurant, where theyd spend entire afternoons disrupting other diners meals with the sound of their raucous laughter. "Sometimes, life is good," hed say. Although he appreciated nice things, Stan rarely splurged on himself. He was in his 60s before he treated himself to a nice car. The one-time cabbie was a skilled driver in his day. While his day lasted, that is. He habitually glared at other drivers as he passed them, a practice denounced by each of his children, who swore they would never imitate it (until they did). As Stans driving began to more closely resemble "Mr. Toads Wild Ride" than a relaxing Sunday drive, he would happily offer one of his visiting children to take the wheelunder the guise of letting them experience the "ultimate driving machine." A long-suffering Philadelphia Eagles fan, Stan was pleased to have lived long enough to see the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl. When the Eagles had last won a championship, in 1960, the 23-year-old Stan was in attendance at the game played at Franklin Field. He had also attended the Eagles first championship game at Shibe Park as an 11-year-old boy. Stan was also one of the early Flyers hockey fans, and took his son Ted to the Stanley Cup championship in 1975. A man of faith ("Vatican II was a good thing; better than Vatican I."), Stan regularly attended Mass and supported a variety of Catholic charities, often requesting prayers for his grown children for whatever challenges they were facing. Over the past 10 years, Stan had found great purpose, companionship, and joy in the adoption (one intentional and one unintentional) of two rescue dogs. After years of begrudgingly tolerating the familys various petsincluding reptiles, cats, dogs and horsesStan found a best friend of his own in his grand-dog, Ruby, who adopted him once a dog-sitting gig (intended to be temporary) became permanent at her request. For the next four years, Stan and Ruby were celebrities in their gated community. "Shes a Ruby dog!" he would say excitedly when neighbors asked what type of dog she was. After Rubys passing, Stan went on to adopt Rusty, giving this lucky dog the chance to live his best life when no one else stepped up to the challenge. From walks in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, to the Arizona desert, to the western suburbs of Minneapolis, the two were inseparable. "Somehowsome waywe made it!" Stan would often say at the end of one of their walks. Stan is survived by his five adoring children, Thomas, John (Linda), Ted (Michle), Lori Griffey (Beau), and Lisa Vollmer; two grandchildren, Michael (Nadelle) and Christina; two great-grandchildren, Holden and Emerson; brothers, Mark and Joseph; three sisters-in-law, and many loving nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Agnes ("Pat"); his parents and by his sisters, Beatrice Tracey, Mary Luscko, and Lillian Gilleach of whom he loved and missed dearly. While his family feels an immeasurable loss in Stans passing, they are reassured by scripture that "in death life is changed, not ended," and they find great comfort knowing that he is now at peace and reunited with Patand other family and friendsin the presence of the Lord. Stans memorial service will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022, at 11:00 AM at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 630 E. Wayzata Boulevard, Wayzata, MN, 55391, with visitation one hour prior. Internment following at Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Last Chance Ranch Animal Rescue at www.lastchanceranch.org. Services Memorial Service Friday December 2, 2022 11:00 AM St. Bartholomew Catholic Church (Wayzata Boulevard, Wayzata)