On March 16, 2013 of Williamstown. Age 92. Beloved husband of Eileen (nee Ings) Devoted father of John L. (Kathryn), Stephen J. (Judy), and the late Frank L. Tansky. Dear step-father of Carol Jenkins (Gary), Beverly Garnhum (the late Paul), and Edward Woodruff (Barbara). Loving grandfather of 9. Proud-great-grandfather of 17. Dear brother of Helen Thomas.

My loving father and best friend — Francis Leon Tansky Sr — know lovingly by family and friends as “Fritz” — Departed for his true home in eternity in the arms of Jesus , his Lord and Saviour.
Francis Leon Tansky Sr — Born May 06 / 1920 in Tuscarora , Pa
Died March 16 / 2013 at home in Williamstown, NJ
Parents – Father — Frank Leon Tansky — Immigrant from Poland,(Russia) to Minersville, Pa.
Mother — Josephine Strinkoski — of Shamokin. Pa.
Married – Alma Antionette Kuwock of Shamokin, Pa. Oct.23 / 1943 in Knoxville, TN while serving in Army Airforce and were married for approximately 36 years.
Alma Tansky died in Sept 1979
Children Of Francis and Alma Tansky
Francis Leon Tansky Jr — Born 1944 — Died 1976
John L Tansky Sr — Born 1946
Stephen J. Tansky — Born 1957
Sister – Helen Thomas Born 1917
Grandchildren — 9
Great Grandchildren — 17

Francis Leon Tansky married Ella Eileen Woodruff in 1982 from Prince Edward Island and were married for 32 years.
His step children
Ted Woodruff
Carol Ann Jenkins
Beverly Garnhum
Step Grandchildren — 7
Step Great Grandchildren — 13

My father was born in Tuscarora , Pa moved from there to Shamokin, Pa and was raised in the coal mining country of upstate Pa. His father Frank Tansky was a coal miner and that trade was handed down to him. As a child and being raised during the years of the depression he often said that he was sent out to the coal hills with his wagon to pick coal to use for fuel for his house.The miners would dump usable coal for the people to pick on the hillsides. His childhood wasn’t all gloom and doom ,he would tell many stories about he and his friends and all the fun they had swimming and fishing at Beaver Dam plus stories of all the mischief they would get into.
He finished Shamokin Pa high school and met my mother Alma Kuwock. He started working with a crew in the coal mines after high school loading and unloading coal which paid for his first car a Model A Ford. My mother lived in a house on Mulberry Street in Shamokin on a steep hill and my father would call her out on the porch to watch what he could do with his car. Now picture a steep hill “snow covered” with railroad tracks at the bottom of the hill. He would start coming down the hill and jam the brakes on and do 360’s all the way to the bottom of the hill and allow the railroad tracks to stop him. My mom would just scream and go into the house. During this time and before he went into the service he learned to play the accordian and became quite an accomplished muscian, a little more on this later.
He was inducted into the Army Air Force in 1942 and was 22 years of age , he received an honorable discharged in 1945 achieving the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He also served in the Air Force Reserve and received an Honorable Discharged in May 1960. During his years of inducted service he was trained as a navigator / bombadier on the B24 and B17 . He did so well as a navigatior/bombadier that he was sent to Cadet school where he trained and also trained other cadets. He was stationed in Panama to help protect the Panama Canal.
In 1943 he married my mother Alma Kuwock in Knoxville,TN while in the service. My brother Frank Tansky was born in Aug of 1944 before his Honorable Discharge in 1945 and I (John) was born in May 1946 and my brother Stephen was born in March 1957.
After his discharge from the Air Force my father and mother along with Frank and me moved from Shamokin, Pa to Phila. Pa. to seek better work opportunities. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life as a coal miner. He started with owning a neighborhood small grocery store, moved on to work for Gulf oil refinery, moved on to work for Piasecki Helicopter which was purchased by Vertol, which became Vertol Boeing and then Boeing Helicopter Division. At Piasecki he had set up a stock ordering program and system that impressed the Vertol chief engineer and he taught my father instrumentation engineering. When Boeing took control of the helicopter division my father was in flight test and a highly respected instrumentation engineer. To his credit he was a self made engineer, very intelligent , highly respected for his work with a strict attention to detail. He was and always will be a main contributor to the success of the Chinook helicopter which is a workhorse for the military. I asked him what made him pay attention to the smallest details of instrumentation flight test and he said “the lives of the test pilots are in my hands and I won’t be responsible for any accidents or failures if I could possibly prevent it”. My father retired from Boeing Helicopter Division, Ridley Pa at the age of 62.
As a accomplished muscian he played with a few bands and for a short period of time The Sterling String Band. No matter where you would go if there was a party, barbecue or just a gathering of friends he was always asked to bring and play his accordian which he loved to do. He was the life of a party, he would clown around, tell a joke and made all feel welcome around him. He loved the ladies and would give them a hug and tell them “your the best thing I held all day”. He was a wise man and you could always go to him with a problem and he would help if he could.
After my mother died in 1979 , my father met Eilleen Woodruff from Prince Edward Island and they married in 1980. So the family grew in numbers from my father’s side and Eileen’s side and this brought a smile to his face. My father and Eilleen kept up a busy schedule with travel. dancing, parties etc. They made so many new friends there were always visitors. My father never lost his sense of humor and always made his friends welcome. You could write a book about their 32 years of marriage and Eileen has enough pictures and scrap books to prove it.
My father will be greatly missed by both his families who loved him dearly. I know someday I will see him in eternity and will see that smile on his face once more. So until we meet again my father and best friend ask Jesus to keep us in His care. Your loving son — John

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his visitation Wednesday 10:00-11:00 am at the Cross Keys United Methodist Church 1648 N. Main St. Williamstown, NJ 08094. Memorial service 11:00 am. Interment St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Chews Landing. In lieu of flowers donations in Fritz’s memory may be made to the Cross Keys United Methodist c/o Youth Group at the above address. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.egizifuneral.com. Arrangements are under the care of the Egizi Funeral Home, Washington Twp.
“A Life Well Lived
Is Worth Remembering”