Surnack, Richard F.
Item
Title
Surnack, Richard F.
Creator
Bobby Ciarletta
Birth Date
1923-04-09
Birthplace
Swoyersville, PA
Death Date
2005-10-15
Burial Place
Maryrest Cemetery, Mahwah
Occupation
Sales
Conflict
Military Branch
Serial Number
32911463
Service Start Date
1946-04-05
Biographical Text
Richard F. Surnack was born on April 9, 1923 in Swoyersville, PA, and he lived in Hackensack, NJ, and Paterson, NJ, before ultimately living in Mahwah for 50 years.
Surnack enlisted to fight in World War II, and his service ended on January 2, 1946. He fought in the U.S. Army for the “Thirty Thirteenth” 13th Troop Carrier Squadron.
Pretty soon after Surnack returned home, he married Olga E. Boyuk in 1946 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, in Paterson. Five years later in 1951, Surnack graduated along with Fairleigh Dickinson University at Rutherford’s first ever graduating class. As of 1967, he worked on the sales staff of Consolidated Freightways in Paterson, as well as Vernay North American Van Lines in Clifton.
Surnack participated in various religious communities, and took on a role as parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, in Mahwah. Otherwise, he spent time as a member in the VFW Post 2867 of Garfield, Elks Lodge of Elmowood Park-Paterson, Mahwah Civil Defense, and North Jersey Traffic Club. People also knew Surnack as an “avid bowler” at Quackenbush Bowling Lanes in Paterson.
In one intriguing 1986 newspaper article from the Record, Surnack prevented the tall willow trees at his Mahwah home from being cut down by the Rockland Electric crew; his daughter, Donna Connolly, sat in one tree to prevent it from happening!
Surnack enlisted to fight in World War II, and his service ended on January 2, 1946. He fought in the U.S. Army for the “Thirty Thirteenth” 13th Troop Carrier Squadron.
Pretty soon after Surnack returned home, he married Olga E. Boyuk in 1946 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church, in Paterson. Five years later in 1951, Surnack graduated along with Fairleigh Dickinson University at Rutherford’s first ever graduating class. As of 1967, he worked on the sales staff of Consolidated Freightways in Paterson, as well as Vernay North American Van Lines in Clifton.
Surnack participated in various religious communities, and took on a role as parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, in Mahwah. Otherwise, he spent time as a member in the VFW Post 2867 of Garfield, Elks Lodge of Elmowood Park-Paterson, Mahwah Civil Defense, and North Jersey Traffic Club. People also knew Surnack as an “avid bowler” at Quackenbush Bowling Lanes in Paterson.
In one intriguing 1986 newspaper article from the Record, Surnack prevented the tall willow trees at his Mahwah home from being cut down by the Rockland Electric crew; his daughter, Donna Connolly, sat in one tree to prevent it from happening!
Family Members
Married Olga Boyuk Surnack. Daughter: Donna Connolly Surnack. Siblings: Thomas and Robert Surnack.
Bibliography
Obituaries, The Record, p. 29 (L-7), Oct 19, 2005.
"Richard F. Surnack", findagrave.com.
"Richard F. Surnack", legacy.com.
"Richard F. Surnack", U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938-1946, ancestry.com.
Surnack Joins Firm, The News, p. 11, Dec 4, 1967.
Record Class to be Graduated by Rutherford College Thursday, The Herald-News, p. 11, Jun 2, 1951.
Miss Olga Boyuk Bridge of Hackensack Veteran, The Morning Call, p. 11, Feb 28, 1946.
"Richard Francis Surnack", U.S. World War II Draft Cards Young Men 1940-1947, ancestry.com.
Felling Trees Cuts Outages, Irks Neighbors, The Record, p. 35 (A-35), Jun 1, 1986.
Richard Surnack (1923), Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, fold3.com.
Richard F Surnack, World War II Army Enlistment Records, fold3.com.
Collection
Citation
Bobby Ciarletta, “Surnack, Richard F.,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 4, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/227.