Francis Walter Bogaczyk, 76, of Austin, TX, retired IBM Mechanical Engineer, died Monday, January 4, 2021, at St. David’s South Austin Hospital from complications due to bladder cancer. Only son to Frank and Mary Elizabeth and born upstate NY, Fran grew up playing baseball and learning the accordion.
He graduated Vestal High School where he achieved excellent grades and played on the baseball and football teams. Fran attended Brown University, where he earned his B.S. in Engineering, graduating Class of ’66 and member of Phi Delta Theta. Fran worked at IBM for almost one year to then be drafted to the U.S. Army, marrying his high school sweetheart before assignment to Picatinny Arsenal, in Dover, NJ. Returning home and to IBM a few years later, Fran and Sandy moved to Texas with their two young children, eventually retiring early (30 years with IBM) to care for his aging parents in his childhood home and ultimately bringing them back to Austin.
Throughout his life, Fran loved taking his young family on cross-country “trips in the van”, whether an exciting trip to Las Vegas, visiting National Parks in the West as his parents did with him in his youth, or camping over mountain ranges on the way to visit his families in NY. Weekends involved working on his house, yard & garden, watching Texas Ranger baseball in the spring, attending Longhorn football games in the fall, and making time in his church: from young alter server, to Sunday usher, greeter, and before his illness, as part of the collection counting team where his happy demeanor and organizational spreadsheets were always welcome. Even during his 5 year fight with cancer his multiple doctors and medical professionals were impressed with his many blood pressure graphs and tables of data as he monitored his own health.
Knowing the pain which cancer treatments and cancer itself can cause both the patient and his caretakers in a wide range of emotions, may Fran now rest in peace with his Heavenly Father and the Holy Family.
Fran is survived by his wife of 53 years Sandra, daughter Jill, son John, and grandson Benjamin. The family greatly appreciates all of your past, ongoing, and continued prayers during this difficult time.
A morning memorial Mass and ashes entombment will be at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, TX (January date and time still to be arranged).
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