Obituary for Stephen Polivchak
Stephen Polivchak, 97, of Louisville, passed away Thursday, March 3, 2022, at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton.
He was born July 17, 1924, in Cleveland.
Serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corp, Steve Polivchak rarely spoke about his service in World War II, but his experiences impacted the rest of his life. He humbly downplayed his time as a pilot and the fact his B-17 Bomber, El-Lobo (The Wolf), was shot down over France. He was nursed to health by a farmer and returned to duty in Paris in March of 1945. As an accomplished pilot, Steve logged 236 pilot hours by August 1945, met the requirements for his instrument pilot certificate, and was inducted to the Flight Academy Hall of Fame at Mira Loma in Oxnard, Calif.
After the war, Steve developed a passion for golf and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Dyke College in Cleveland. He used his degree for many years as a cost accountant at General Motors. Even after his retirement, he’d use his GM discount to buy cars for his daughters and loved ones. He also enjoyed playing the harmonica and often played O'Suzannah for his girls.
As a parent and grandparent, Steve most often showed his love by making sure his family was financially secure, and he’d slip you some cash when it was most needed. While he admired those who could show affection in person, that didn’t come easy for Steve. Most often, he’d write letters to share his thoughts and share how proud he was of his kids and grandkids. While he didn’t cook (and seemed to live off McDonald’s coffee and apple pies), he loved to garden and share his produce with others. When they were little, he taught his daughters to garden, and they’d make certain each tomato plant got 1 soup can of water a day. As they got older, that love of gardening was returned to Steve in homemade meals and zucchini bread.
He was a member of St. Stephen Byzantine Church in Wickliffe, where he was a member of the church choir and in his later years, he enjoyed going to American Legion Post 44 in Canton and the VFW to enjoy a burger and a beer with his son-in-law, Ray and shoot pool with the gals. Though he was only 97-years-old, his passing was unexpected. He will surely be missed by his loved ones and friends.
Steve was the loving father of Diana M. (Ray) Greene and Donna M. (Mark) Daniels-Gorze; cherished grandfather of Joe (Laura), Ashley (Adam), and Michael (Brianna); great-grandfather of Julia, Owen and Waylon; dear brother of Agnes Rohal; and uncle of many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his former wife, Elizabeth Jane (nee Dhayer) Polivchak; parents, John and Pauline (nee Prihatni) Polivchak; and siblings, John Polivchak, George Powers, Michael Powers, Helen Pacek, Ann Zella and Pauline Zadel.
Family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Abbey of Willoughby, 38011 Euclid Ave. (located on the grounds of McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home), in Willoughby, where a funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will follow the service at All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
To leave condolences for the family, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.
He was born July 17, 1924, in Cleveland.
Serving as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corp, Steve Polivchak rarely spoke about his service in World War II, but his experiences impacted the rest of his life. He humbly downplayed his time as a pilot and the fact his B-17 Bomber, El-Lobo (The Wolf), was shot down over France. He was nursed to health by a farmer and returned to duty in Paris in March of 1945. As an accomplished pilot, Steve logged 236 pilot hours by August 1945, met the requirements for his instrument pilot certificate, and was inducted to the Flight Academy Hall of Fame at Mira Loma in Oxnard, Calif.
After the war, Steve developed a passion for golf and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Dyke College in Cleveland. He used his degree for many years as a cost accountant at General Motors. Even after his retirement, he’d use his GM discount to buy cars for his daughters and loved ones. He also enjoyed playing the harmonica and often played O'Suzannah for his girls.
As a parent and grandparent, Steve most often showed his love by making sure his family was financially secure, and he’d slip you some cash when it was most needed. While he admired those who could show affection in person, that didn’t come easy for Steve. Most often, he’d write letters to share his thoughts and share how proud he was of his kids and grandkids. While he didn’t cook (and seemed to live off McDonald’s coffee and apple pies), he loved to garden and share his produce with others. When they were little, he taught his daughters to garden, and they’d make certain each tomato plant got 1 soup can of water a day. As they got older, that love of gardening was returned to Steve in homemade meals and zucchini bread.
He was a member of St. Stephen Byzantine Church in Wickliffe, where he was a member of the church choir and in his later years, he enjoyed going to American Legion Post 44 in Canton and the VFW to enjoy a burger and a beer with his son-in-law, Ray and shoot pool with the gals. Though he was only 97-years-old, his passing was unexpected. He will surely be missed by his loved ones and friends.
Steve was the loving father of Diana M. (Ray) Greene and Donna M. (Mark) Daniels-Gorze; cherished grandfather of Joe (Laura), Ashley (Adam), and Michael (Brianna); great-grandfather of Julia, Owen and Waylon; dear brother of Agnes Rohal; and uncle of many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his former wife, Elizabeth Jane (nee Dhayer) Polivchak; parents, John and Pauline (nee Prihatni) Polivchak; and siblings, John Polivchak, George Powers, Michael Powers, Helen Pacek, Ann Zella and Pauline Zadel.
Family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Abbey of Willoughby, 38011 Euclid Ave. (located on the grounds of McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home), in Willoughby, where a funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will follow the service at All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
To leave condolences for the family, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.