Pawel Antoni Przybyla, 60, of Annawan, IL, passed away on Friday, March 24, 2023, peacefully at his home surrounded by family. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 4-7 PM at Vandemore Funeral Home & Crematory-Atkinson Chapel. Recitation of the Rosary will begin at 4:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Annawan with Rev. S. Stephen Engelbrecht celebrating. Service will be livestreamed on Vandemore Funeral Homes Facebook page. He will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Annawan. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to his family to disperse among his favorite charities.
Pawel was born in Lodygowice, Poland on August 4, 1962, the son of Stanislaw and Aniela (Suchanek) Przybyla. He left Poland when he was 19 and made it to a refugee camp in Austria. From there he applied for his visa to the United States and made it in 1982. He married Ewa Malarz in 1987 and she survives. He worked in Chicago for a few years at a butcher shop, heavy machinery operator and a landfill before relocating to Annawan to work for the Atkinson Landfill. After the landfill closed, he bought a bakery in Annawan and worked faithfully everyday to keep it going for 23 years. In 2019 Pawel decided to close the bakery and work in maintenance for Hammond Henry Hospital. He loved all the people he worked with over the years and made many friends. Pawel could fix anything you asked of him. He loved to go fishing and especially spending time with his family and grandchildren.
Those left to cherish his memory are wife, Ewa Przybyla, mother, Aniela Przybyla, children; Catherine Przybyla of Annawan, Joanna (Oswaldo) Münkel of Michigan, and Philip (Courtney) Przybyla of Manlius, brothers, Fr. Jacek Przybyla and Rafael (Bozena) Przybyla both of Poland, grandchildren; Theodore Münkel, Meila and Gianna Przybyla, special friends, Wiesia (Bogdan) Ziebiec of Indiana and many other friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Stanislaw Przybyla and one grandson, Maximillian Münkel.