Obituary of Juliusz Kawalec

Juliusz C. Kawalec, a resident of Burlington for 38 years, passed away after a short illness at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center on Sunday, December 23, 2007. He was 80 years old. Juliusz was born in North Braddock, PA. He was the son of Polish immigrants, the late Michol and Katherine Kawalec. At the age of 4, Juliusz and his family returned to their homeland of Poland where he was raised on the family farm. During WW II, Juliusz was forced to work in a Work Camp in Austria that was under German control. When the Russians liberated Austria and the Work Camps, he was drafted into the Russian Army. After WW II, he went back to Poland to be with his family. Juliusz married his wife Christina in Poland in 1956 and together the returned to the United States in 1961. They lived for a brief period in Dorchester and in 1969 they moved to Burlington where they raised their two children. Julius had a successful career as a Class A Machinist. He was quite talented, innovative, and precise. He would often work on prototypes or other unique parts and equipment. He worked on the Space Shuttle, F-22 jets, Stealth Radar Scrambler to name a few. Juliusz had many interests including photography, gardening and electronics. He had the ability to speak five languages. A natural offshoot of his machinist skills was that he was very handy and could build anything. His belief was “Why buy something new if you could fix it or make your own better version of product.” If he didn’t have a particular tool for a project, he had the ability to build one to meet his needs. He was always inventing gadgets or building his own electronics. His home is filled with years of wonderful memories and keepsakes. Juliusz was the husband of 51 years of Christina (Mierzwa) Kawalec. He was the loving father of Andrew J. Kawalec & his wife Carol and Irene C. & her husband Mike Menasco. His brother Michael Kowalec predeceased him. He was the proud grandfather of Sabrina & Cameron Kawalec. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 12 Noon. Visiting hours Friday 4-7 p.m. Interment will be private. Memorials in Juliusz’s name may be made to People Helping People, 10 St. Mark’s Road, Burlington, MA 01803. F