Earlier this month, a professor at the University of Arkansas named John Pijanowski tragically lost his dad, 87-year-old Donald, to Covid-19. Pijanowski took to Twitter to share a touching eulogy for his late pops, who he calls an “unfailingly good man.”
It began with a heartwarming photo of the duo enjoying a day at the ballpark.
I want to tell you about my dad, Donald John Pijanowski. He was born on October 30, 1932 and he passed away today at 12:07pm, April 1, 2020. The doctors tell us it was covid19 which means we were not allowed in the hospital to be with him for his last days. pic.twitter.com/UC52BKvhmj
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
It’s understandably difficult grieving under the given circumstances, but John and his family mourned to the best of their capabilities.
Instead of gathering around him and each other we are mourning via texts and video and putting our faith in the brave nurses and doctors caring for him that he was not alone. pic.twitter.com/I3QuZ34IYp
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
John didn’t mince words: his father was a saint walking among us.
My dad was a great man. There are no buildings named after him, he left behind no fortune, and there are no books that tell his story. He was not great in the way we often try to define the term – he was great in that he was such a *good* man – good to his core, unfailingly good. pic.twitter.com/7DWbUVNnpA
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
He told of Donald’s resilience through childhood.
As the youngest of ten children born during the Great Depression the stories of his childhood always seemed harsh, but he never told them that way. Stories of his youth were always told with a warm sense of nostalgia and a twinkle in his eye. pic.twitter.com/DQkZWyiL8H
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
They slept 3 kids to a bed, 1st to wake up got to choose their shoes, there were 2 Christmas presents for all the kids combined – one gift for the boys to share, and one for the girls, and how the girls were the best ball players in their sometimes rough Buffalo neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/AfHF1OeZgk
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
He joked of how his mom often had to stretch food seemingly beyond its natural limits and as recently as last week was wishing for a taste of his mom’s spinach soup. pic.twitter.com/TosHRVLD64
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
He carried with him a praiseworthy work ethic.
The stories of his work ethic were legendary. He wasn’t a suit & tie guy, he was a green bar of lava soap guy. He had many jobs through the years (like wiring houses & steel manufacturing) & his career was ultimately building and later servicing huge industrial turbo compressors. pic.twitter.com/5qnUSYvOlx
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
Every time we drove down Union street he told me the same story of the job he had, & ultimately walked away from, painting those houses because the supervisor told him to only paint the parts that people could see from the street. “I could never do that” he would say every time.
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
If my dad was doing a job for you then you knew he didn’t just do the parts he thought you could see, he did the entire job and he would not leave until it was done right.
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
A man brimming with fascinating anecdotes.
Wherever I went with my dad he seemed like the coolest guy in the room. His sports exploits were also the stuff of legend. When he was younger he would get manufacturing jobs and favorable shifts so he could play on their company baseball teams. pic.twitter.com/iFFaT8tKPM
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
I heard tales growing up of a home run he hit at Schiller Park that not only left the park but ended up hitting a house across the street. The last time we played with a football he was 55 years old and he threw his age – a 55 yard strike on the fly to me running a post pattern. pic.twitter.com/4BT1ZemVoF
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
But at the end of the day, he was just a very empathetic, kind old man.
My dad’s defining feature though was how much he cared about people. Over the years and over the past few hours I have heard from many friends who grew up with me and spent time in my home when we were kids. pic.twitter.com/pbxx24PdB2
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
My dad was a great man because he left the world a better place for having been in it. He was an infinitely kind man with a sharp sense of humor who worked hard, played hard, and loved deeply. I will miss him every day of my life and be grateful I had the privilege to be his son. pic.twitter.com/TQHZYZGnfJ
— John Pijanowski (@John_Pijanowski) April 1, 2020
We’re immensely sorry for John’s loss and wish nothing but the best for his family. From this tweet thread alone we can tell that there’s no shortage of happy reminiscence to be had with Donald Pijanowksi.
Here at The Dad, we hope you, your families, and communities stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information, please utilize online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.