Steve A. Polansky, 85, Baseball Player
Steve A. Polansky, 85, of Amherst, died Sunday, February 3, 2002 at the St. Joseph Hospice Residential Center in Lorain following a two year illness. Mr. Polansky was born in Lucerne, PA, and moved to Lorain as a child. He has been a resident of Amherst since 1945. Since his retirement, Mr. Polansky and his wife also lived several places in Florida, including Deerfield Beach and Deland.
Mr. Polansky, along with his wife, was the founder, owner and operator of the Steve Polansky Meat Market. They started the market in 1940. In 1945, the business was expanded to include a location in Amherst, which was later expanded by adding a larger retail store. In 1975, the business was expanded again by opening a location in Henrietta. In recent years, the business has been consolidated to just the Amherst location, where after 61 years, it is still operated by the Polansky family. Mr. Polansky retired in 1974. He was a member of The Sanctuary of the Congregational Church of South Amherst, and a former member of the Church of the Open Door in Elyria, where he was involved in the vacation Bible School ministry. He was also a member of the Church of God, where he taught Sunday School. While living in Florida, he was chairman of the church's building committee.
Mr. Polansky also had a deep love and passion for baseball, and hit the longest home-run ever recorded at the former City field, now Pawlak Field in Lorain. For eight years as a young man he played for the Lyon Taylor Team of Cleveland. He also played for the Wakeman Red Caps, and once played with Bob Feller in Cleveland. He was also recruited by the St. Louis Cardinals for their farm league in Albany, GA. He enjoyed baseball and played well into his 70's. He also enjoyed fishing and golfing.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sophia Ann (nee Sykuta), three daughters, Barbara Masowich of South Amherst, Stephany Larson of Oberlin, and Marilyn Woods of Wakeman, two sons, John of Amherst and Stephen of South Amherst, nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Julia (nee Rissiniak) Polansky, four sisters, Alice Zabala, Katherine Sands, Julia Mazurek and Anna Sender, five brothers, Frank, John, Mike, Joseph and Paul Polansky, and by one grandson Robert S. Masowich in 1975.
Friends may call Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m at Hempel Funeral Home, 373 Cleveland Avenue, Amherst. Funeral services will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Art Wiegand, and Rev. Greg Rowan, co-officiating, Burial will be at Ridgehill Memorial Park in Amherst Township.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be forwarded to either The Sanctuary of South Amherst, 114 West Main Street, South Amherst, OH 44001 or to the St. Joseph Hospice Residential Center in care of New Life Hospice, 5255 N. Abbe Road, Elyria, OH 44035.