Obituary of Mary Nowak

Mary Margaret (Fish) Nowak born September 6, 1925 in Florida, New York, died Saturday September 27, 2014 in Colorado Springs, CO after a long illness of Alzheimer's. Mary was a loving mother, devoted wife and caring grandmother. She was 89. Mary's parents were Frank and Mary G. Fish. She has 3 sisters: Frances Niemcewicz, Julia Sikorski, and Eleanor Faliski, and 1 brother, Frank Fish, now deceased. She graduated SS Seward High School in Florida, NY and married S. A. (Tony) Nowak on October 3, 1948. Mary moved with her husband to several countries in Europe and Asia with his military career. In 1961 Tony's last station was at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Mary started working at the research and development laboratories in Night Vision at Fort Belvoir, VA until she retired in 1990. Mary moved to Colorado Springs, CO in 1996 and was a member St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church of Colorado Springs. Mary is survived by her husband of 66 years, Lt. Col. (ret) S.A. (Tony) Nowak. Her 3 children are Kent E. Nowak married to Martha Lynn Saunders in Olathe, KS; Jean A. Birk and her husband Marty Birk of Lake George, CO and Carol N. Congdon married to Richard Congdon in Colorado Springs. She has two grandchildren; John A. Nowak married to Jami Porter and resides in Atlanta, GA; Kyle M. Nowak, married to Lauren Phillip of Denver, CO and one great-grandchild, Dorothy Mabel Nowak, recently born on August 15, 2014 to John and Jami. Mary will be buried in the Nowak family plot in her childhood home of Florida, NY. A viewing will held on Saturday October 11 from 8 am-10 am at T. S. Purta Funeral Home, 22 Glenmere Ave., Florida, NY 10921. Immediately following will be a Mass of Christian Burial to be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Florida, NY at 10AM, followed by the burial at St. Joseph Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer's Association in Mary's name to Alzheimer's Association – 2315 Bott Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 266-8773, www.alz.org.