Walter Theodore Kostanski Jr. (December 10, 1923–June 15, 2015) was an American businessman and politician.
History
Early life
Walter Kostanski was born in
Erving, Massachusetts. He lived in
Turners Falls, Massachusetts and went to the Turners Falls High School.
In 1942, Kostanski tried out for the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, and then the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
in 1946.
Military
Kostanski served in the United States Naval Armed Guard during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. While in the guard he served as a Gunners Mate Third Class on the ESSO Rochester from 1943-1946.
In 1947, Kostanski married Virginia Geraghty.
Business
After his service in the military he went to the
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,400 full-time students. It was founded upon the merger of Fran ...
and to the New England Institute of Funeral Directing Embalming. Kostanski lived in Turners Falls with his wife and family. He was a funeral director and was the owner of the Kostanski Funeral Home in Turners Falls.
Politics
Kostanski served in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
from 1957 to 1971 and was a
Republican. He served as the
Franklin County Register of Deeds from 1971 to 1995. Kostanski retired in 1995.
Death
Kostanski died at his home in Turners Falls on June 15, 2015.
['1969-1970 Public Officials of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.' Norma C. Pidgeon/Wallace C. Mills, Biographical Sketch of Walter Theodore Kostanski, pg. 203]
Awards and medals
War medals include:
*
WWII Victory Medal
* American Area Campaign Ribbon
* European – African Area Campaign Ribbon
* Asiatic – Pacific Area Ribbon
*
The Philippine Liberation Medal
Notes
1923 births
2015 deaths
People from Franklin County, Massachusetts
Businesspeople from Massachusetts
Military personnel from Massachusetts
Franklin & Marshall College alumni
American funeral directors
Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
20th-century American businesspeople
United States Navy personnel of World War II
{{Massachusetts-MARepresentative-stub