Alvin Thomas Pawlik, age 99, of Knox, Indiana passed away on Sunday, September 15, 2024 at the assisted living facility, Brentwood at Laporte. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 11:00am (CT) at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Knox, with visitation one hour prior to mass.
Alvin was born July 13, 1925, in Knox, to Hugo and Filomena Pawlik. Except for his time in the service, he lived his entire life in Knox. He had five brothers and three sisters. They all loved to play baseball!
In July, 1943, Alvin went to Chicago to take a test for the U.S. Air Corp. He was an armorer, engineer and gunner on a crew of ten men on a B-24 Liberator. His unit was called the Flying Tigers. He was honorably discharged in February 1946.
On August 9, 1947, he married Viola McIntire. They were blessed with two daughters, Janet and Michelle. They celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary this year.
Alvin was a welder and a machinist. He was just five months shy of his twenty-five year anniversary with Pullman Standard before they closed. He then worked for Bethlehem Steel for fifteen years, until his retirement.
Alvin’s Catholic faith was an integral part of his life. He was a cross bearer or altar boy from the age of five, until ninety. He loved baseball, fishing and being outdoors. He also loved his grandchildren.
Alvin was preceded in death by his daughter, Janet, his parents and all of his siblings. He is survived by his wife, Viola; his daughter Michelle and her husband Joe, of Dakota Dunes, SD; their children Erin and husband, Connor, of Portland, OR; Andrew, of Chicago, IL; Janet’s children Matthew and wife Casey, of Garrett, IN; and Sarah, of Hamilton, IN.
