Aleksander R. Manowski

SPRINGFIELD-Aleksander R. Manowski, 50, died on January 11, 2012 at Baystate Medical Center. Born in Poland on February 12, 1961 to the late Wojciech and Krystyna (Pietrzak) Manowski, he had been employed for many years as a machine operator at American Saw. In Poland he fought in the Solidarity movement to free Poland from the Soviet Union. He was politically imprisoned in 1982 for his beliefs. Once freedom came to Poland he was exiled and granted a visa to live in the United States, arriving in Maryland with his wife. He later moved to Massachusetts where he raised his children. He was a caring, loving man who was wise beyond his years and an aspiring author and inventor. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his daughter, Ewa Soltyszewski. Survivors include his son Mateusz Manowski and his fiancée Kasia Kielb; his daughter AnnaMaria all of the Indian Orchard section of Springfield; his brothers Czarek and Zbyszek; and his sister Lucyna all in Poland; Tyler Coviello, Anthony Johnson and Justin Siekierski whom he regarded like sons; his former wife, Arleta Surowiec and her children, Julia and Batosz Bernardczyk of Newington, CT; Malgorzata Mitchell, the mother of his children and her husband Ronald of Springfield, MA, along with many other people he provided shelter and food. The funeral will be on Monday, January 16, 2012 at 9:30AM at New England Funeral & Cremation Center, LLC 25 Mill Street, Springfield, MA proceeding to Immaculate Conception Church for a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11AM. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2012 from 3-5PM. For directions and expressions of sympathy please visit www.nefcc.net