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Severn Starzynski, 90, died May 28, 2006 in Albuquerque. He was born December 5, 1915, in Pittsburg, PA. His father was T.A. Starzynski, who headed the Polish Falcons in the United States before, during, and after World War I. Severn spent much of his youth in Poland. He graduated from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) and worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In April 1941 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. By 1944 he commanded a company of combat engineers that began to see action in Europe shortly after D-Day. His unit was part of the Allied advance across Europe into Germany. After VE-Day he was stationed in Paris, where he rendezvoused with an Army nurse from Oklahoma, Delle, that he had met and fallen in love with while they were both stationed at Camp Hood, TX. They soon married in Swindon, England. He was honorably discharged from active duty in December 1946, and retired from the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1975. He worked at the U.S. Patent Office until 1952 when he moved his family to Albuquerque to work at Sandia National Laboratories. He retired from there in 1973. Following the death of Delle in 1965, he married Gloria Smith in 1976. He spent his retirement years actively, including traveling around the globe with Gloria, playing tennis and running the bridge program at Palo Duro Senior Citizens Center. Severn's daughter, Lorraine and his sons, Richard and John preceded him in death. He is survived by his sons, Charles and his wife, Karsan Elliott of Sacramento, CA, and James and his wife, Joy Read; by his grandchildren, Justine Starzynski and her sons, Tommy Thompson and Dante Bonaccorso, Lucien Starzynski, Colbran Starzynski, and Alexander Starzynski; and by his step-granddaughter, Amber Smith, all of Albuquerque; by his wife, Gloria; by his stepchildren, Susan Smith and her son, Enrique Mondragon (her daughter Maria Elena preceded Severn in death), James Smith, and Shelley Smith and her companion, Matt Adair, all of Albuquerque, and Michael Smith of Alaska; by Michael's son, Richard Smith and his wife, Angela and their daughter, Sydney of Michigan; and by Shelley's son, Joe Wilson and his wife, Cipprianita and their children, Trevor, Severn Star, and Chloe of Raton. Memorial Services will be at 2.00 p.m. on June 2, 2006, at Riverside Funeral Home. Burial will be at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to KNME-TV, 1200 University Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102-1798, or Peanut Butter & Jelly Family Services, 1101 Lopez Rd SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105.
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