WWII B-29 Tail Gunner - Pacific
Edward J. Symanowicz, 91, of Exeter Township, passed away at 3:30PM, Thursday, February 23rd. Formerly of Arlington Street in Reading, he also lived in Hilton Head, SC for 12 years.
He was the widower of Antoinette F. (nee Stankiewicz)Symanowicz. who passed away in 1998. Edward was born in Reading on September 2, 1925, a son of the late Pearl (Wojciechowski) and Ignacy Symanowicz. He was a member of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church Reading and was a graduate of Reading High School
He served in the U.S. Air Force as a Staff Sgt. in WW II. earning the Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters . Ed was a proud World War II veteran who served in the Pacific. Stationed on Tinian Island, he often spoke of his experiences. He was a tail gunner on a B29 bomber flying 32 sorties over Japan. He kept a personal log of each sortie in a small blue notebook that is truly a piece of history. He watched as the atomic bomb was loaded onto the Enola Gay, and he was part of the flight over the USS Missouri as the Japanese signed the peace treaty after World War II that also occurred on Ed’s birthday, September 2nd. Ed was featured on a half hour Berks Cable Show and the resulting interview has been filed in the National Library of Congress as part of the Veteran’s History Project. This video interview can be viewed in his obituary. He was honored as a VIP at the Reading World War II weekend in 2014 and took a final flight on the only B29 in flight, FIFI, in 2015. Ed was also featured in an article in the Reading Eagle last year describing his military experiences. He enjoyed people and often traveled with a pocketful of dum-dum lollipops that he would hand out to anyone who would accept one. He had a kind heart and was a family-oriented patriarch.
He worked as a Commercial Printer at FA Woener Company, Reading, PA., for 42 years and also worked for West Lawn Printing until his retirement. He was a life member of the VFW Hunter-Liggett Post 38 and the Union Graphic International Union Local 160-C.
Edward is survived by a daughter, Gail (Staudt) DiBlasi wife of Peter DiBlasi of Exeter and a son, Mark A. Symanowicz, of West Reading, PA. He is also survived by 2 granddaughters, Chani Booth and Shana Callahan, and was predeceased by a brother, Bernard Symanowicz and sisters, Constance Kutzand Alice Lubas..
Burial will be private, but a Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 11 am at the Canal Street Pub and Restaurant Canal, Street Reading, PA 19602.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to The Children’s Home of Reading 1000 Centre Avenue Reading, PA 19601
Arrangements entrusted to John P. Feeney Funeral Home, Inc., 625 N. 4th St. at Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601. Obituary and condolences and video available at www.johnfeeneyfuneralhome.com
