Emil Szymanski

Emil John Szymanski, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2024, surrounded by his family, at Legend at Jefferson's Garden in Edmond, Oklahoma. He was 99 years old.

Emil was born on July 24, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Agatha (Michalska) Szymanski, the youngest of six siblings. He graduated from Lane Tech in Chicago and joined the U.S. Marine Corps on March 17, 1943. After serving six years in the Marine Corps, he joined the U.S. Air Force. He served in the Pacific Theater during WW2. He proudly flew in B-25s, B-17s and the RC-121. He retired from the Air Force in 1964 at Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth, Texas. He and Chloe moved their family to Abilene, Texas, where he worked with Xerox for the next 20 years. They called Abilene home for 54 years.

Emil could fix anything. The consummate tinkerer and perfectionist, he was known for his "waste not, want not" philosophy and could be found in his shop repairing anything for family and friends alike. Paul often mentioned that he believed his dad was by far the most intelligent man he had ever known. Emil loved receiving visitors with a huge hug and a smile on his face; his cheerful attitude brought smiles to everyone around him. For many years he was a member of the Abilene Sailing Association. He served for over 40 years in the Knights of Columbus and as a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and later Holy Family Catholic Church. He never met a drink or an ice cream he didn't like. He and Chloe belonged to all the Abilene dance clubs, could dance all of the dances - and loved them all.

Emil was preceded by Chloe Dean (Singleton) Szymanski his wife of 62 years; daughter, Mary Elizabeth; and his siblings: Edward, Matthew, Loretta, Adele, and his twin, Virginia. He will be dearly missed by his daughter, Suzanne Thomas of Santa Fe, Texas; his son, Paul and wife Danna, of Edmond, Oklahoma; his grandchildren, Matthew Thomas and wife Lauren of Kingwood, Texas; Morgan (Thomas) Noel and husband Derek of Alvin, Texas; Troy Emil Szymanski of Edmond, Oklahoma; Taylor Szymanski of Boerne, Texas; Kaylin (Szymanski) Halsell and husband Patrick of Ft. Worth, Texas; great-grandchildren, Georgia Noel and Crosby Noel; and Joseph Emil Thomas and James Thomas.

A funeral service to honor and celebrate Emil's life will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024, at Elmwood Funeral Home in Abilene, Texas. Visitation from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. Service at 2:30 pm.