Walter Cudak, Jr.

On Saturday, February 26, Walter D. Cudak, Jr. 89, died peacefully at what has been a family home for over a century, 42 Valley St., in Adams, surrounded by family and friends. A lifelong resident of Adams, he was born on July 21, 1921, the son of the late Walter and Victoria (Juras) Cudak, graduated from St. Stanislaus School, and served for many years as an altar boy celebrating the Mass in Latin for St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. He graduated with the Class of 1940 of the former Adams High School where he played the violin, basketball and pitched for the varsity baseball team. Walter, or "Cudie" or "Babu" as he was best known, learned welding from the Brooklyn, NY Trade School and worked in the Navy shipyards building destroyers before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1942, during WWII, to serve as a radarman aboard the USS Hornet CV-12 for 3 years of combat duty in the South Pacific. Upon his return to Adams after the war, Walter worked for the General Electric Company in Pittsfield, taking advantage of the company's management training programs and eventually becoming a foreman for the Navy Transformer department. He retired after 42 years of service. On July 17 of 1943 while on leave from active duty, he married Pauline Paluch of Adams at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church. After 59 years of marriage, she died on October 9, 2002. Walter was a member of the USS Hornet Preservation Foundation and was able to return to visit the living museum, now permanently docked in Almeida, CA some 50 years after the war. He was also a member of Adams Post 160 American Legion, the General Electric Quarter Century and Pensioners Clubs, and was a communicant of the Parish Church of Pope John Paul the Great in Adams. "Babu" cherished time with his family, attending the many activities of his children and grandchildren and becoming the family cook to them, and took great care of his home on Potter Street in Adams. After his retirement, he had the pleasure of travelling with his wife to Hawaii, Texas and Florida. He loved his Polish heritage, speaking and reading the language, cooking Polish specialties, and listening and dancing to Polish music. A lifelong baseball enthusiast, he attended his first Boston Red Sox game with his Dad in 1937 and forever remained a devoted fan, as well as one of the New England Patriots. Walter leaves his two daughters, Louise McCue of Lenox and Cynthia Berti and her husband, Richard of Adams and a son, Daniel Cudak and his wife, Kelly of Windham, NH, in addition to his sister, Jean Morin of Adams. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Elizabeth Hansen and her husband, Christopher of Oakland, CA, Mitchell McCue of Lenox, Andrea Berti and her husband, Jason Stump of Brighton, MA, and Scott Berti of Acworth, GA. Walter leaves one great-granddaughter, Sydney Oakes Hansen of Oakland, CA.as well as his step grandchildren, Kaela and Lauren Nute and Dante Cowan. Funeral services for Walter D. Cudak will be held on Thursday, March 3rd at 10:30 AM from the PACIOREK FUNERAL HOME, 13 Hoosac St. Adams, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11:30 AM at the Parish Church of Pope John Paul the Great, Adams, with the Rev. David Raymond officiating. Burial will follow in Bellevue Cemetery, Adams. Family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 2, from 5 to 7 PM at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation in care of the funeral home.

Walter Cudak, Jr.

March 26, 2011