Obituary of Peter Durniak

Peter Durniak entered into rest Friday, January 9, 2015 at Lutheran Care Center in Poughkeepsie. He was 90. He was born in Brooklyn NY on Feb. 22, 1924 the first son of immigrants Anthony Durniak and Mary Currulla. In high school he studied to be an electrician and during WW II he enlisted in the US Navy and served as an electrician's mate in the Navy Construction Battalion – the SeaBees. That experience instilled in him a "can do" attitude expressed in the SeaBee motto: "The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer." It was an attitude that not only guided his life, but one that he later imparted to his four sons. After the war Peter married Mary Potocky on June 19, 1949, and they settled in Woodside Queens NY. The couple raised four sons and the house was always active with music lessons, school science projects and home improvement projects. A highlight of every year was the family's annual vacations in the Catskills where he took the boys swimming, fishing, and engaged in softball games. He joined Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and attained the certification of "A-class Journeyman Electrician" the union's highest rating. He later helped to train generations of electricians as an instructor in Local 3's apprentice program. Twice a week after his regular job, Peter would take the subway to Manhattan to teach the apprentices. His union affiliation also provided him with a regular supply of part time jobs that supplemented the family income so that Mary could be a full-time mother. Some of the most interesting were assembling exhibit booths at the NY Coliseum and helping to build the 1964 Worlds Fair in Flushing Meadows Park. Using the benefits of the GI bill he enrolled in Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and after nine years of night classes earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. During this time he joined the New York City Hospital Department as an electrician. After years of experience and studying for Civil Service exams, Peter rose through the ranks to his ultimate position of Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for Bird S. Coler Hospital, a long-term care facility on NY's Roosevelt Island (called "Welfare Island" in those days). After 31 years with the NYC Hospital Dept. he retired in July1985. During Peter's time at Coler hospital he noticed that there were a lot of Orthodox patients of Russian and Greek decent, many of whom had few visitors. He mentioned this to his wife Mary. She gathered a group of interested women and they approached the Bishop for support. With his blessing they formed the Good Samaritans Society. The group arranged for Divine Liturgy to be served at Christmas and Easter followed by a feast of ethnic foods. Peter supported the organization for many years chauffeuring Mary and the ladies to the hospital. Peter was always active in his church, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Brooklyn NY. He served for many years on the Parish Council, where he applied his expertise to the building maintenance committee. Most recently he helped his wife Mary as she applied for grants from the New York State Preservation Trust Fund to restore the historic Cathedral. Their efforts, which started in 1996, were the catalyst for a Parish fund raising drive that ultimately collected $3.5 million to finance the complete re-covering of the Church's five copper-clad Byzantine style cupolas. That work was completed in 2004. As it became more difficult to travel and handicap accessibility became important Peter and Mary joined St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church in Jamaica NY. They attended there until they moved to the Lutheran Care Center this past summer. Peter is survived by his wife Mary, a resident at the Lutheran Care Center in Poughkeepsie NY; his brother Michael who lives with his wife Irene in Columbus Ohio; his sister Julia of St. Augustine Florida; his four sons, Anthony who lives with his wife Marsha in Clinton NJ, Gregory of Bayside NY, Timothy who lives with his wife Barbara in Poughkeepsie NY; and Theodore who lives with his wife Karen in Providence Forge VA; his grandchildren Kimberly, Joseph, Mark, and Philip; and great granddaughter Sophie Elizabeth . Family will receive friends on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Gregory the Theologian Church, 1500 Route 376, Wappingers Falls. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. at the church. Divine Liturgy will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 14 at the church. Interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 65-40 Grand Avenue, Maspeth, NY, 11378. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research; the Lutheran Care Center; or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. To send the family a personal condolence, please visit our website at www.StraubCatalanoHalvey.com.