The Hero of St Casimir Wladyslaw 'Wladek' Szylwian Rest in Peace February 20, 2013
Walter, born February 10 1913, just celebrated his 100th birthday. He passed away Feb 20th after a long battle with pneumonia which started between Christmas and New Years. He was hospitalized at first in Parma Hospital, then Regency on Engle Rd and on Sat Feb 9th was moved to a Multicare facility on Broadview Rd. where he died peacefully.
Last week Walter had a choice to get a feeding tube into his stomach so he could live but he decided and said " I don't need a hole in my 100 year old body" and accepted the inevitable outcome. He even mentioned to a friend of his from the veterans," can you get me some pallbearers from the post" his friend Jim Wojciechowski told him he will try but those left are too old and sick so he will get some younger ones. Walter was the then 96 year old altar boy who pulled the plug on the bishop at the last closing Mass of St. Casimir Church on Nov 8, 2009. At the time he said he did it as his form of protest for an unjust closing. He took great care of the altar at St Casimir each and every day.