Senate Resolution No. 680

BY: Senator KENNEDY

MOURNING the death of Stanislaw Markut, one of the
last Polish veterans of World War II living in
Western New York, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and this
great Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Stanislaw "Stanley" Markut of Sloan, New York, died on
Sunday, March 21, 2021, at the age of 100, just shy of his 101st
birthday; and

WHEREAS, Family members and friends made his 100th Birthday a
special one; a police escort led the way in a parade honoring Stanley
with dozens of vehicles driving by waving and wishing him a Happy
Birthday while he sat on his front porch waving back; and

WHEREAS, Stanley Markut was born in 1920 near Lublin, Poland; he was
training to become a woodworker, but the German Invasion of September
1st changed everything; after the fateful campaign and division of
Poland, his area was occupied by the Soviets; and

WHEREAS, On February 10, 1940, at two in the morning, the Markut
family were forcibly exiled from Eastern Poland to the forests of Soviet
Siberia; and

WHEREAS, In August of 1941, amnesty was declared by Stalin but word
did not reach the camp until much later; when it did, the remaining
family and camp members were transported to an area near Tashkent in
Khasziksthan; and

WHEREAS, In January of 1942, Stanley immediately joined the Polish
Army; he was trained in a tank unit stationed in Scotland with the 1st
Regiment, 1st Armoured Division of the Polish Army; and

WHEREAS, Together with Canadian forces, he rolled onto Juno Beach in
support of post D-Day Invasions of Normandy 1944; he was wounded in the
following bigger Battle of Falaise Gap, France; and

WHEREAS, Stanley Markut was ranked as a Sergeant and specialized as
the main gunner in the Sherman tank; and

WHEREAS, For his military service, Stanley Markut was the recipient
of numerous awards and accolades including: Polish Wounded Star (Purple
Heart equivalent); Polish Army Medal, 1939/45 Star; France and Germany
Star; British Defense and War Medal, and War Medal 1939-1945; and

WHEREAS, Stanley Markut was wise, generous, and disciplined; in
addition, he was an avid gardener and a-man-of-all-work brightening the
landscape of Buffalo's East Side and later Sloan; and

WHEREAS, After many years of dedicated service, Stanley Markut
retired as a machinist from Buffalo Forge; and

WHEREAS, Active in his community, Stanley Markut was a proud member
of various Polish and American civic clubs; he fought tenaciously for
the legitimate rights of Polish WWII veterans while belonging to the
Polish veteran groups of SPK Post No. 33 and SWAP Post No. 1; he was
also a committed member of the ADHC family at the VA and the Polish
American Congress of Western New York; he also founded the Polish
Saturday School in Buffalo; and

WHEREAS, Predeceased by his wife, Antonina "Tola" (Klimaszewska)
Markut; his brother, Jozef Szaja; and his sister, Zofia Woszczak;
Stanley Markut is survived by his two children, Eulala "Lala" Markut and
Antoni "Tony" (late Catherine) Markut; his three grandchildren, Krystyna
(Francesco) Greco, Aniela (Mathew) Cardinal, Melysa (Timothy)
Markut-Boyle; his five great-grandchildren, Athena, Peter, Aurora, Logan
and Evelynn; and his brother, Janek Markut; as well as many nieces and
nephews in the United States, Canada, England and Australia; he was also
the loving surrogate Dad to Irena Woszczak; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Stanley Markut leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Stanislaw Markut, one of the last Polish veterans of
World War II living in Western New York, distinguished citizen and
devoted member of his community, and to express its deepest condolences
to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Stanislaw Markut.