Remembering Mr. Krajkowski

Robi Stuart ’17 and Carlos Arroyo ’16

Staff Writers

At this past Friday’s football game, before the Panthers took the field, Nouvel took time to remember a truly remarkable man. Stanley Krajkowski was a Nouvel Catholic Central icon. Stan began his life in Poland on a family farm which only had clay floors. He says some of his earliest memories were from when he altar served for mass.  His life changed forever when Nazis occupied Poland and tossed thousands of children including him in work camps alone without his family. He says he never thought of escape even with only two meals a day which including a slice of bread, glass of water, and maybe a potato. In 1949, he was released after the U.S. freed Poland. He was reunited with his family and they moved to the U.S. and took a job at an iron foundry. The first thing he and his family did was go to Mass. He got involved with Nouvel by sending his son Terry to Nouvel after being a major St. Mary’s athletic leader. He was a major former of the Nouvel community. As a dad he got involved with the school academics and sports including the concession stands. After awhile, he became a frequent Nouvel face and role model continuing a family tradition and legacy of supporting Catholic education. His grandchildren attended NCC, including Clarie who is a senior and Brad who just graduated last year.  Our own assistant principal Mr. Szymanowski says, “Stan was a great man of faith. Who was a role model for us all. He will truly be missed, but not forgotten by all of us.”