Obituary for Peter Fronczkiewicz
Peter Edward Fronczkiewicz, of Anderson, SC, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on April 12, 2021, at the age of 72.
Pete was born on July 31, 1948, in Luzerne, PA, to John Fronczkiewicz and Regina Pechukonis Fronczkiewicz.
He grew up with his fraternal twin brother Charles, and older siblings Bernadine and John, who did their best to keep him out of trouble and mostly succeeded. He married the eternal love of his life and better half, Marilyn Shonis Fronczkiewicz, on May 31, 1969, directly after which they embarked on their 52 year journey together starting with his service in the Army, stationed in Texas.
His father-in-law, Tony Shonis, was a particular inspiration for him throughout his life and a model of goodness that he tried his best to emulate, despite the many inappropriate jokes that Pete told over the years – an activity and hobby that he thoroughly enjoyed.
Over the next several years, life came quick, as it often does. The couple settled in Drums, PA, and gave birth to their daughter, Christi Fronczkiewicz – who still claims to this day to be the “favorite child” – and their son, Peter John (PJ) Fronczkiewicz – who still claims to this day that Christi is wrong. In 1979 the family set off for a new adventure in Anderson, SC, where they made a life for themselves best described as a roller coaster ride, and we’re not talking about the kiddie kind. At times hanging on for dear life; other times laughing until it hurt. Through it all, they persevered, with love serving as the anchor.
As time moved on, Pete – with his loving soulmate Marilyn always assisting by his side – made ends meet with a variety of businesses he started from scratch including South Pole Auction Company, and to which he and Marilyn devoted much labor and love. And while he often proclaimed his wish to be “rich instead of good looking”, richness never came in the form of abundant material wealth (and we spared him the truth about his looks). Rather it came in the form of many, many friendships formed over the years and in seeing his children grow into adults, guiding them along the way. Two of Pete’s greatest loves were his granddaughters Ada and Maizy, the children of PJ and Amy Church Fronczkiewicz. Through them he could see that he had truly succeeded in life.
While there are many stories and ways to describe Pete, it really boils down to a few principles that he believed in and exuded with seemingly no effort. The first is that life should be fun. The man loved laughing and especially trying to make others laugh. He relished seeing the look on the server’s face whenever he ordered “a bean sandwich on rye bread with mayo” – a request he made at every restaurant in which he ever dined, and often at the embarrassment of his children. Humor to Pete was a way to connect his soul to that of others, and from which many wonderful friendships were formed.
The second principle he lived by was that if someone needed help, you helped. Regardless of race, creed, status or situation, if you needed help, he would jump in, no questions asked. From Pete, this came in many forms – a few dollars, many dollars (thanks Dad), a meal, some clothes, a tool, a vehicle, a home, a bed, a job, a set of hands, a strong back, an ear, a thought, an advisor, an advocate, a warm hug, or a hand to hold. Helping to Pete was a way to connect with his creator, to live his belief that every human being is worthy of compassion and forgiveness, and a way to pay forward the generosity of the many people throughout his life that helped him, believed in him, and gave him another chance when he needed it. It was a duty and responsibility he felt deep in his heart, and what made his family especially proud.
While we sadly no longer have our beloved Pete here with us in physical form, we are so grateful to have had him in our lives for as long as we did, and all the memories he gave us will be carried with us forever. He so loved his wife of 52 years, his children, grandchildren, family and friends, and we are comforted knowing we share in our grief together. He was simply a good guy and will be dearly missed.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Clean Start of Anderson at 219 Townsend St, Anderson, SC 29625, (864) 716-0766, https://cleanstartandersonsc.com/how-you-can-help/. Donations to Clean Start of Anderson can also be made via St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church at 1821 White St, Anderson, SC 29624, (864) 226-8621, https://sma43.org.
A celebration of Pete’s life is being planned, with more details to come.
The Standard Cremation & Funeral Center is serving the Fronczkiewicz family and a message of condolence may be sent by visiting www.standardfuneralcenter.com.
Pete was born on July 31, 1948, in Luzerne, PA, to John Fronczkiewicz and Regina Pechukonis Fronczkiewicz.
He grew up with his fraternal twin brother Charles, and older siblings Bernadine and John, who did their best to keep him out of trouble and mostly succeeded. He married the eternal love of his life and better half, Marilyn Shonis Fronczkiewicz, on May 31, 1969, directly after which they embarked on their 52 year journey together starting with his service in the Army, stationed in Texas.
His father-in-law, Tony Shonis, was a particular inspiration for him throughout his life and a model of goodness that he tried his best to emulate, despite the many inappropriate jokes that Pete told over the years – an activity and hobby that he thoroughly enjoyed.
Over the next several years, life came quick, as it often does. The couple settled in Drums, PA, and gave birth to their daughter, Christi Fronczkiewicz – who still claims to this day to be the “favorite child” – and their son, Peter John (PJ) Fronczkiewicz – who still claims to this day that Christi is wrong. In 1979 the family set off for a new adventure in Anderson, SC, where they made a life for themselves best described as a roller coaster ride, and we’re not talking about the kiddie kind. At times hanging on for dear life; other times laughing until it hurt. Through it all, they persevered, with love serving as the anchor.
As time moved on, Pete – with his loving soulmate Marilyn always assisting by his side – made ends meet with a variety of businesses he started from scratch including South Pole Auction Company, and to which he and Marilyn devoted much labor and love. And while he often proclaimed his wish to be “rich instead of good looking”, richness never came in the form of abundant material wealth (and we spared him the truth about his looks). Rather it came in the form of many, many friendships formed over the years and in seeing his children grow into adults, guiding them along the way. Two of Pete’s greatest loves were his granddaughters Ada and Maizy, the children of PJ and Amy Church Fronczkiewicz. Through them he could see that he had truly succeeded in life.
While there are many stories and ways to describe Pete, it really boils down to a few principles that he believed in and exuded with seemingly no effort. The first is that life should be fun. The man loved laughing and especially trying to make others laugh. He relished seeing the look on the server’s face whenever he ordered “a bean sandwich on rye bread with mayo” – a request he made at every restaurant in which he ever dined, and often at the embarrassment of his children. Humor to Pete was a way to connect his soul to that of others, and from which many wonderful friendships were formed.
The second principle he lived by was that if someone needed help, you helped. Regardless of race, creed, status or situation, if you needed help, he would jump in, no questions asked. From Pete, this came in many forms – a few dollars, many dollars (thanks Dad), a meal, some clothes, a tool, a vehicle, a home, a bed, a job, a set of hands, a strong back, an ear, a thought, an advisor, an advocate, a warm hug, or a hand to hold. Helping to Pete was a way to connect with his creator, to live his belief that every human being is worthy of compassion and forgiveness, and a way to pay forward the generosity of the many people throughout his life that helped him, believed in him, and gave him another chance when he needed it. It was a duty and responsibility he felt deep in his heart, and what made his family especially proud.
While we sadly no longer have our beloved Pete here with us in physical form, we are so grateful to have had him in our lives for as long as we did, and all the memories he gave us will be carried with us forever. He so loved his wife of 52 years, his children, grandchildren, family and friends, and we are comforted knowing we share in our grief together. He was simply a good guy and will be dearly missed.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Clean Start of Anderson at 219 Townsend St, Anderson, SC 29625, (864) 716-0766, https://cleanstartandersonsc.com/how-you-can-help/. Donations to Clean Start of Anderson can also be made via St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church at 1821 White St, Anderson, SC 29624, (864) 226-8621, https://sma43.org.
A celebration of Pete’s life is being planned, with more details to come.
The Standard Cremation & Funeral Center is serving the Fronczkiewicz family and a message of condolence may be sent by visiting www.standardfuneralcenter.com.