Stanley Matthew Klimek

On October 31st, Stanley M. Klimek, age 91, Korean War veteran, retired accountant, 40-year Catholic catechist and lay volunteer, pro-life activist, and poet, died of natural causes inside the Peoria, Arizona home he shared with his beloved wife of 67 years, Junalee.

He is survived by their seven children: Kelly (Paul) Ruske, Stephan (Belinda) Klimek, Stuart (Arlene) Klimek, Shawn (Sara) Klimek, Penny (Brian) Williams, Shannon (Jodi) Klimek, and Scott (Charla) Klimek; nineteen grandchildren: Jennifer, Aaron, Stephanie, Samantha, Stacey, Christian, Christel, Cassandra, Tiphany, Brandon-John, Scott, Sirius, Simon, Schuyler, William, Kassandra, Shanea, Tyler, and Nicholas; and twenty great-grandchildren: Nicholas, Brittnie, Abigail, Kayden, Jupiter, Olivia, Emma, Natalya, Zoey, Nate, Tomek, Kolbe, Kylie, Alexandrea, Ava, Beata, Preston, Crew, Chanel, and Charlie.

He is predeceased by his “Pa” and “Ma”, Sigmund and Joanne Kudlicki; his siblings, Isabelle, Bernice “Jean”, Sigmund Jr., Edward, Florence, Arthur, John, Robert, Patricia, Chester, Casimir, Joanne, Angie, Wanda, Gloria, Richard, and Jerry; and first grandson, Michael Ruske.

Stanley "Skippy" was born on April 13, 1933, in Muskegon, Michigan to John and Joanne “Jenny” Klimek. While still an infant, his mother brought him and his sister Joanne to live with his natural father, widower Sigmund Kudlicki and his ten children in Chicago. “Sig” and “Jenny” later added two more brothers, “Dickie” and Jerry, to his already large family.

In Chicago, Stanley’s education began at St. Sylvester Elementary School, progressing to Lane Tech College Prep High School, where he joined the ROTC, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Aspiring to an Army Career, he joined the Illinois National Guard at 16 and subscribed to military training by correspondence course. The following year, he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army. In Basic Training at Fort Riley, KS, his competence earned him the nickname, “little general” and a recommendation for Leadership Training. While his fellow recruits preceded him to Korea, he finished the course and then remained 16 weeks as cadre to help train the next batch of recruits and finish his HS GED. He learned of the deaths of the 10 recruits he trained with before receiving his own orders to Korea in July of 1950.

Assigned to the 7th Calvary, 17th Infantry Division, HQ Company of Hwacheon, North at Kimwah (North of the 32 Parallel), he volunteered for hazardous duty and was trained as a wireman. One rainy night under a full moon, he was sent to into no-man’s land below “Old Baldy” to repair a broken communication wire. On his way back, he broke his ankle in two places leaping over a swollen creek. He was evacuated to Tokyo for surgery (two permanent screws), then, for convalescence to Percy Jones Army Hospital in Battle Creek, MI. Upon release, he served various light duty assignments at Camp Carson, CO, before volunteering for German occupation duty at Patch Barracks, Vaihingen-Stuttgart. Completing his three-year commitment as a PFC, he declined reenlistment and returned stateside to Fort Sheridan, IL from where he was honorably discharged, on August 7, 1953. He briefly rejoined the Illinois National Guard as a Staff Sergeant before permanently embracing civilian life: getting a job and extending his education using the GI Bill.

His military awards include United Nations Service Medal Korean Service Medal (1 bronze service star), Combat Infantry Badge, and Army Occupational Medal (Germany) Stanley studied basic accounting at Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University, Chicago, IL. After answering an ad to deliver a car to Phoenix, AZ, he discovered the warm weather there was easier on his arthritic ankle and chose to remain. He resumed his education at Gregg College of Commerce, studying business machines (now all obsolete), typing, and particularly, the 10-key adding machine, where he developed a speed and accuracy that reliably impressed his future employers, in addition to his intelligence, initiative, industry, and expert organizational skills.

Though he worked primarily and retired as an accountant, Stanley took pride in his varied employment experience, which included: banking, meat packing, oxygen therapy, florist, plumbing, cab driving, salesman, cattle feedlot office manager, and dozens more, often two at a time. Other accomplishments included being a Junior Olympic Fencing Instructor, a Knights of Columbus Grand Knight, and Honorary Lifetime Member.

He was employed as a utility clerk for First National Bank when he met his soul mate, Junalee. He began looking forward to Fridays, when she would visit the bank to cash her paycheck from AT&T. They began dating, and were married within three months, on September 7th, 1957 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Helen Catholic Church in Glendale. The Arizona Patriot Guard Riders will be providing a military escort for Stanley, departing from the VFW Post 1433, Sandy Coor, to his final resting place at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona where the Rite of Committal and internment is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. A rosary will precede the Mass at the church at 9:30 a.m.

https://youtu.be/pc3CvlNEe7k?feature=shared