Leonard Karl Pudlicki, 1930-2013: Volunteer was outdoorsman

Volunteer was outdoorsman

6/8/2013

Leonard Karl Pudlicki, 82, a retired plant engineer and lifetime community volunteer, died Thursday at Ebeid Hospice Residence in Sylvania.

He had leukemia, but his condition deteriorated in December, granddaughter Kendra Royer said.

A resident of Toledo for seven decades, Mr. Pudlicki was well-known for his volunteer work and involvement in community organizations and clubs.

He moved to Lambertville about 10 years ago but kept his ties through community service in the area, his daughter Cheryl Smith said.

“He had a huge heart,” Mrs. Smith said. “He was a very generous soul.”

He was an usher at St. Pius X Parish, for which he organized charity prize draws and other fund-raising events. He visited the sick and distributed meals through the Meals on Wheels program offered by the Bedford Senior Citizens’ Center in Temperance.

“He would always keep candy in his pocket, so he could give a piece of candy in addition to the meal,” Mrs. Royer said.

Mr. Pudlicki, who was born on Oct. 29, 1930, continued his lifetime commitment to volunteerism by donating his body to the University of Toledo for medical research.

“The man gave, gave, and gave,” Mrs. Royer said. “He thought his body should serve a better purpose, when he was done with it.”

Mr. Pudlicki graduated from Macomber Vocational Technical High School.

After working as a meat cutter, he joined Libbey Inc. in Toledo, then transferred to Sharon Manufacturing in Wadsworth, Ohio, as a tool maker. In the late 1960s, he landed a job at Owens-Illinois Inc., where he was a supervisor for more than 30 years.

He retired in 1995 to spend more time with his large family, which he considered “his biggest accomplishment," according to Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Royer.

A longtime sailing aficionado, Mr. Pudlicki was a commodore and treasurer for the Harbor View Yacht Club in Oregon. He purchased a 32-foot boat to sail across Lake Erie with his family.

He was secretary for the Ottawa Lake Archery Club since 2000. Mr. Pudlick made frequent trips to Tionesta, Pa., where he and his friends hunted deer and boar, a practice that ended two years ago after knee surgery.

“He really enjoyed the outdoors and the camaraderie that we all had together,” said his friend Gilbert Papaw of Sylvania.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, whom he married in November, 1949; sons, Leonard, Anthony, and Chris; daughters, Terri Palmer and Cheryl Smith; a brother, Al, and 14 grandchildren.

The services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Pius X Parish, where the family will receive visitors.

Contact Lorenzo Ligato at: lligato@theblade.com or 419-724-6091.