Avonmore native had a head for numbers, passion for polkas

Henry Stapinski’s skill with numbers provided him a livelihood, while a passion for his Polish roots provided him years of enjoyment with his family.

The son of immigrants from Poland, Mr. Stapinski liked to socialize at the Polish National Alliance club in Avonmore when he wasn’t working as an accountant.

He also liked to listen to and dance to polka music. “He was a very smooth dancer; he taught all of us,” said daughter Janice Galo.

Mr. Stapinski and his late wife of 65 years, the former Providenza Sturiale, spent many weekends attending polka events, including a Fourth of July gala at the Seven Springs resort.

“They would bring enough food to feed an army,” daughter Karen Sheaffer recalled. “People just gravitated to them.”

The couple would travel farther afield when they followed their son, Michael, as he played trumpet, clarinet and guitar with various polka bands.

“They enjoyed traveling with me when I toured the country quite a bit,” Michael said. “They went on several bus trips and cruises with me and attended polka festivals from Chicago to New Jersey. They enjoyed every aspect of Polish-American music.”

Henry A. Stapinski, 93, of Bell Township, died Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at Excela Latrobe Hospital. Born Oct. 7, 1925, in Avonmore, he was a son of the late Peter and Margaret Pozepka Stapinski.

A World War II veteran, Mr. Stapinski put his mathematical abilities to work for the Navy while serving in the European Theater aboard the USS Hubbard, a destroyer escort.

“He did the payroll for the people on the ship and he would have to escort an officer to the bank,” Sheaffer said. “He would need to carry a pistol, which he never had to use.”

Taking advantage of the G.I Bill, Mr. Stapinski pursued a double major in accounting and marketing, earning a degree from the University of Illinois. He worked as a plant accountant for 33 years at the former Lukens Steel Corp. in Avonmore, retiring in 1985.

Michael Stapinski described his father as “extremely meticulous, number-oriented and analytical.” At the same time, “He was easy-going and had a great temperament. He was a great listener and loved to have a really good time. He was well-liked by everyone he met.”

A member of Saltsburg’s American Legion post, Mr. Stapinski served 44 years as quartermaster of the Avonmore Veterans of Foreign Wars post and took part in local Memorial Day observances.

A member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, he was an avid golfer and bowler and enjoyed gardening.

“He traveled through Western Pennsylvania with his golf buddies,” his son said. “They picked a new course every week. This was a ritual they did in the good-weather seasons.”

Mr. Stapinski is survived by three children, Karen Sheaffer and her husband, Victor, of Ford City; Janice Galo and her husband, Randy, of Saltsburg; and Michael and his wife, Gina, of Naperville, Ill.; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kelly L. Corridoni Funeral Home, 400 Indiana Ave., Avonmore.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church in Avonmore. Interment will follow at Twin Valley Memorial Park, Delmont.