LOWVILLE, NY – Paul Kowalchyk, 87, of Hummingbird Lane, Lowville, NY, died peacefully Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.
Paul was born at home June 11, 1932, in Watervliet, New York, to the late Peter and Yustina (Sirak) Kowalchyk.
Paul and his wife Connie resided with their family on Riverview Road in Vischer Ferry, NY, before moving to Lowville in Northern NY where they lived for the past twenty years.
Paul grew up in Watervliet and graduated in 1950 from Watervliet High School. He joined the United States Navy and served from 1951 to 1955. During the Korean War, he was stationed in the Aleutian Islands and Washington D.C. as a Cryptologic Technician.
Returning home, he attended Siena College in Loudonville in the evening division for six years.
He married Constance (O’Grady) Kowalchyk on June 24, 1961 at St. Agnes Church located in Cohoes. Paul was part-owner in the family business, K-C Refrigeration Transport, located in Troy with his brothers and brother-in-law where he worked for over thirty years.
He was a communicant of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Watervliet and St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Lowville. He was a member of the American Legion Post 1450 in Halfmoon, New York. Paul was also a member of the U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association and enjoyed communicating with other members across the nation.
Paul devoted his life helping everyone, family, friends, neighbors, and all with whom he came into contact on a daily basis. In 1992, Paul and Connie began to spend many wonderful years wintering in the warmth of Marathon Key and Tamarac, Florida.
Paul loved the relaxed lifestyle, sunshine and local biking. He made friends easily during those years, many of whom he kept well into his eighties. Paul was an avid reader. He was a poet and penned lines of love to his family and close friends celebrating the milestones of life.
In addition to his wife, Paul is survived by his children Mary Anne (James) Kingsley, Kathleen (Charlie) Merrick, Kevin (Linda) Kowalchyk, Patricia Kowalchyk, and Christine (Brian) Scott. Paul is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Molly Kingsley, her spouse Clara Libbrecht, Jeremy Kingsley, his fiancé Michelle Heidgerken, Jennifer Carbone, Joseph (Jennifer) Carbone, Nicholas Kowalchyk, Mariah Kowalchyk, Catherine Bitteker, Greta Bitteker, Harrison Scott and Anna Scott; his sisters-in-law, Elsie Kowalchyk of Melrose, New York, Helen Kowalchyk of Watervliet, New York and Emily O’Grady of Schenectady, New York; great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
He was predeceased by his son, Michael John Kowalchyk, as well as brothers, Stephen, Harry (Louise), John, Peter (Jean), twin brother Joseph Kowalchyk, his sister Mary (William) Caldwell and brother-in-law John O’Grady.
Calling hours in Lowville will be 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Sundquist Funeral Home.
Calling hours in Watervliet will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at Parker Bros. Memorial, 2013 Broadway, Watervliet. A funeral service will be at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Watervliet, on Monday, Jan. 13, at 10:00 a.m. with military burial to follow at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.
Donations may be sent to Brookside Senior Living Community at 5701 Brookside Circle in Lowville, New York, or to Lewis County Hospice, 7785 North State Street, Lowville, New York.
Condolence book at ParkerBrosMemorial.com. and www.sundquistfh.com