John J. Gronski, 66, of Old Saybrook, CT, passed on to his Lord and Savior, on June 20th, after a 13-year, courageous battle with cancer. His wife, Grace, and good friend, Madeline, were at his side. John was born in Hartford, and raised in New Britain, where he graduated from New Britain High School. He was self-educated in auto mechanics, and carpentry. He operated his family business, Rainbow Industrial Caterers, for several years, before entering the construction and re-modeling industries. He was known in central and southeastern Connecticut as a master carpenter, cabinetmaker, auto mechanic, and an excellent repairman. He could fix just about anything!
John is survived by his wife, Grace (Marrero) Gronski; his cousin, Frederick Spindler and his wife, Nancy; his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Marrero and partner, John; brother-in-law, Robert Marrero and partner, Gail; and sister-in-law, Edith Smith and her husband, Ricky.
Pre-deceased are his parents, Joseph and Eugenia Gronski, his cousin, Henry Spindler, his aunt and uncle, Helen and Chester Gronski, and cousin, Chester Gronski, Jr, and in-laws, Enrique and Ada Marrero.
John was devoted to his faith, becoming an ordained minister, a preacher at ecumenical churches, working with the incarcerated, and volunteering as a cook at the soup kitchen in Bristol, CT. He enjoyed meeting people, engaging in great conversations at all levels, making people laugh, and sharing God’s wisdom.
As a youth, John had a passion for pool/billiards, developing his skills with a cue stick! He thrived on tough competition. He loved working on cars, becoming quite adept in auto mechanics as a teenager. His love for cars, and car racing grew, as he attended local racetracks in Connecticut, as well as Indy Car, the Daytona 500, and NASCAR races around the country. As he grew up, he really enjoyed the game of golf, playing frequently with his father and friends in Florida and Connecticut. He became a voracious reader, studying the Bible, devouring medical journals, historical, and non-fiction books. John enjoyed pets, both dogs and cats. He was extremely fond of his latest feline, Sage, as she would sit on his lap, shoulder, and head while they napped together in his recliner. John also truly loved the Town of Old Saybrook, especially views of the water. John was well-loved and will be greatly missed!
A Celebration of his Life will be conducted on August 12, 2023, at 11:00 at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, 195 Old Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. Arrangements are being handled by Abbey Cremation Services of Rocky Hill, CT.
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