Leo Kania of Middletown true American hero

I was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Mr. Leo Kania. During my infrequent visits to Middletown over time, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Kania through my father, Frank “Murph” Rybczyk. One of the highlights of my trips was the chance to share a cold one with Mr. Kania at the Polish National Home.

Although old enough to be my grandfather, he told me it was OK to call him Leo. Coming from a military father, there was no way that was going to happen ... I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

The conversations were always lively and informative. After all, how often do you have the opportunity to talk with someone who was part of the D-Day invasion and also fought in the Battle of the Bulge? Although his accomplishments were many, he was a humble person who preferred talking more about his days as a teacher or about me.

But my letter today is as much about what Mr. Kania represented instead of the man himself. Here is a man, who served his country with military service, a dedicated public servant in the school system, a true example of someone who gave to their community as a member of the Civitans, a person willing to share his experiences with others and an active member of his church.

I guess 93 years affords you the opportunity to do a lot of things, but how many of us choose to do half of what he did? One could only imagine how society might be different if there were more of us like Mr. Kania.

One would be hard pressed to call him a war hero, despite the significance of his military time, but Mr. Kania should always be remembered as a true American hero. — Alan Rybczyk, Gastonia, North Carolina