Online Obituaries

CHICOPEE    John J. Zajdel, 97, of Chicopee, passed away on Friday, January 16, 2026 at home.  He was born on August 29, 1928 in Chicopee and was the son of the late Joseph and Tecla (Nowak) Zajdel.  John was a communicant of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus and a 1947 graduate of Chicopee High School. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was an electrical engineer, who retired from IBM in 1984. John enjoyed going to his place on Cape Cod.  An avid outdoorsman, he loved fishing on the Deerfield River.  John is survived by his nephews, Kenneth Kurowski, Thomas Kurowski and his wife, Patricia and their son, Jon Kurowski. Besides his parents, John is predeceased by his wife, Luella E. (Pomeroy) Zajdel and his three sisters, Genevieve Godaire, Irene Wojcik and Alice Kurowski. He will be dearly missed by his stepdaughter, Helen Mattson, step grandchildren, Victoria Moore, Dale Potter, Laura Miele, James Potter, Ralph Potter II and Thomas Scott.  John was a kind and gentle man.  The family wishes to express their deep gratitude for the compassionate care provided by the staff of Kind Hands.  A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus on THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2026 at 10 am.  Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.