Joseph Andew Alyosius Andew Alyosius Strednak
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Joseph Andrew Aloysius (Joe, Butch, Stred) Strednak, of the Villages, Florida, died after a valiant effort to overcome complications due to Parkinson's Disease on Friday, April 21 at Cornerstone Hospice with his wife and children by his side. He was 84. Joe was born at home in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, on November 23, 1938, to the late Joseph A. and Mary (Kraves) Strednak. He spent his first night in a dresser drawer. Joe was considered a good friend and a cool cat in high school. He graduated from Scott High School in 1956 where he played basketball, baseball, and the cymbals in the Marching Band during football season. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with two of his high school buddies and went straight to Parris Island where he made more good friends. After his two-year enlistment, he returned to Pittsburgh and worked construction with his uncles, attended night school at Westinghouse, and played baseball for the North Braddock Iron Men. In 1961, he helped them win the South Hills tournament with his "stellar" pitching. He was famous for his Radio Ball (you could hear it, but you couldn't see it). He enrolled in Edinboro State College in 1960 (where he met his wife, Val, in a math class), made more life-long friends and earned a bachelors degree in Education. He graduated Edinboro in 1964, married Val in 1965, and started a family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He taught at Jones Avenue Elementary, worked as a draftsman at Auburn & Associates, then returned to teaching junior high math at East Allegheny and high school math at Plum Boro until he retired in 1996. While teaching, he enjoyed bowling in winter and golfing in summer with a great group of like-minded guys. In 1998, when he and Val came to the Villages, he immediately made new golfing buddies and played all winter, too. What a life! He made a hole-in-one on Hole #11 at Meadowink Golf Course in Murrysville. While he never made a hole-in-one in Florida, his Eagle on #13 at OBH-Citrus Hill made the Villages Daily Sun. Golfing three to four times each week, he played many different courses throughout Florida with many of the same guys for 25 years. He and his buddies also had great fun on their many golfing trips to Spring Hill, Orange Lake, Sebring and Myrtle Beach. Joe was a kind, loyal friend with a ready smile, a great sense of humor, and a happy-go-lucky, fun personality. He lived with Parkinson's Disease for 18 years and considered himself lucky and blessed to have such a supportive family, great friends, and a wonderful life. Joe was preceded in death by his father, mother, and sister, Magdalene Strednak Calabria. He is survived by Val, his loving wife of 57 years; his children, Joseph James Strednak and Megan McKenzie Strednak Young (Terry); and his three grandchildren, Hayden, Max, and Lainey Young of Germantown, Maryland, who were always delighted to spend time with Mog & Pap Pap in the Villages. "Uncle Joe" made many wonderful memories with numerous nieces and nephews over the years as well. Joe was a member of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, North Lake Presbyterian Church of Lady Lake, Florida and the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. He loved music and sang in the church choir, making a joyful noise wherever he was. A celebration of Joe's life is planned for Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home, 3975 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joe's name to Cornerstone Hospice, 601 Mariposa Way, The Villages, Florida 32162; Samaritan's Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, North Carolina 28607, or another charity of your choice.