Obituary of Thomas K. Bakalar

Thomas K. Bakalar, age 84, of Trumbull passed away peacefully on Friday, January 15, 2016 at Cambridge Manor in Fairfield. He was the beloved husband of the late Elizabeth Skonieczny Bakalar. Born in Bridgeport on March 10, 1931, he was a son of the late John and Anna Chantlos Bakalar. A proud U.S. Navy Veteran of the Korean War and member of the Sea B's, he later worked for Producto Machine in Bridgeport, Connecticut until 1976. He then went to work for Sikorsky Aircraft as a maintenance foreman before his retirement in 1988. Mr. Bakalar was a very active volunteer with the Barnum Festival, his church, and several other organizations in both California and Connecticut. He loved to work in his garden and care for his tomatoes. He also found great enjoyment in completing jigsaw puzzles and craft projects, and playing cribbage and pinochle with family and friends. An avid softball player, Thomas was also very proud to have been on the Producto Machine team that won the U.S. Championship for Men's Slow Pitch Softball in 1954. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Survivors include his loving children, Kenneth L. Bakalar and his wife Marilyn of Trumbull and Susan B. Hogan and her husband Steven of Lebanon, CT, four cherished grandchildren, Patrick, Christine and Robert Hogan and Johnna Lee Bakalar, his step daughter, Nancy Auger and her husband Austin of California and step grandchildren, Austin and Heather Auger. In addition to his wife Elizabeth, he was also predeceased by his brother, James Bakalar and his wife Marian. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull. Interment with full military honors will follow in Park Cemetery, Bridgeport. Friends may greet the family at the funeral home on Wednesday morning from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Tom's memory to the Cancer Center at Griffin Hospital, 350 Seymour Street, Derby CT, 06418 or to the Wounded Warrior Project, 150 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 202, Cambridge, MA, 02140.