Selwyn "Sol" Koenig

Selwyn “Sol” Koenig passed away in Rockledge, FL on January 1 in the company of family at the age of 91. He is survived by his two children: son Steven (Karen Basile-Koenig) Koenig of Viera, Fl and daughter Christine (Wayne) Lane of Bayshore, NY; sister, Olivia Balzano of West Melbourne, FL; grandchildren, Amanda (Nolan) Pedersen, Marisa Koenig, Dianna (Cole) Judge, Matthew Lane; great grandchild, Jacob Judge and nephews, Steven Balzano, Joey Balzano and Mark Balzano. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Barbara, whom he’d married in 1952 and who died in 2018.

Born 1930, in Kings Cty, NY, a child of the Great Depression; schooled as far as the 8th grade, though not necessarily diligent in his attendance - especially if Uncle Leo showed up needing a young set of hands to move someone’s belongings around town; he grew up in and around Brooklyn, the offspring of a couple whose union would fracture before he was 10, he would, in his teens, be chosen by circumstances to labor in support of a struggling, single mother. Consequently, he’d press his mother to sign him into the ARMY at 17, where he’d ultimately serve stateside during the Korean conflict. He would first serve from ‘48 to ‘49 with release due to familial dependence imperatives. By ‘53 Uncle Sam would call him back to service… he was honorably discharged in 1954, about 3 months after the birth of his first-born son and subsequently transferred to the US Army Reserves.

A left-handed, blue collar laborer, he was briefly an apprentice plumber, later finding his career as Machinist, Tool and Die Maker, working in that trade for the best part of 4 decades. His last job, moving cars around for Avis, was one he worked part-time until his orthopedic challenges would force an exit.

Selflessly devoted to Barbara and an affectionately loving family man. He converted from Judaism to Catholicism as an adult, and he remained a quietly dedicated man of the faith. In his earlier married life, he was a motorcycle enthusiast, weight lifter and bowling league participant; he loved the jazz of the 40’s, notably big bands - often recalling his thrilled attendance for a Woody Herman performance around ‘48/‘49 in Kansas - and big voices like that of Billy Eckstine. He also greatly enjoyed country music, especially as rendered by Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings or Merle Haggard. On TV, he could watch Animal Planet or Dr Pol for hours. For years, he ushered in church, most Sundays, at Our Lady of Lourdes, Melbourne, Fl and lastly, beginning in '93, at Ascension Catholic, Melbourne, FL. He was also an avid supporter of our military veterans.

Sol led with love throughout his life and was, foremost, a man of great humor; a schooled practitioner of the joke, a jokester, out of the tradition of the great NYC comics of his youth, in particular, Henny Youngman - and he, too, came to master the so-called, one-liner, only to revel, deadpan, in the resultant waves of our laughter… a joke well delivered and a life well done!

Services will be on Saturday, January 29 and include 11AM funeral mass at Ascension Catholic Church, 2950 N. Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, Fl and 1PM inurnment at Florida Memorial Gardens, 5950 US-1, Rockledge, FL. The family discourages flowers asking instead to make memorial donations in Sol’s name to K9s For Warriors via phone: 904-686-1956; online: www.k9sforwarriors.org (placing either of the words, “none” or “n/a” in the “notification recipient” fields presented) or mail: PO Box 865431, Orlando, FL 32866-5431.