AUBURN- Jaroslav Slezak, 90, of Auburn, passed away after a long illness on Monday, January 9, 2017 at Knollwood Nursing Center. He was recently pre-deceased by his wife of 64 years, beloved Alena (Dvořakova) Slezak. He was a loyal husband and family man, living a simple life with dignity, humility and honor.
He was born in 1926 to Jan and Anežka Slezak in the rural village of Doloplazy in Czechoslovakia where he grew-up with his late brother Zdeňek. Jaroslav introduced Boy Scouts to his village, serving as its first troop leader. During WWII, he apprenticed as a metal model and pattern maker for castings. After the war, he attended a two-year engineering college and also served two years in the Czech Air Force as an armament specialist. After his military service, he worked for a short time in several companies designing tools, measuring instruments, and assembly fixtures for jet engine parts for airplanes and helicopters. In 1952, Jaroslav married Alena and settled in the small town of Šternberk, where Jaroslav was employed at Chronotechna, a company that made clocks and timing devices. He was eventually promoted to managing the injection mold design department. Jaroslav and Alena had two children and together created a comfortable lifestyle for their family. They were building their new house near the Šternberk castle when, in 1968, their flourishing lifestyle came to an abrupt end. Violating international borders, Russian tanks rolled-in and occupied Czechoslovakia. Jaroslav despised communism and did not want his family to endure the oppressions of the communist regime. Thus they bravely decided to immigrate to the United States in 1969, leaving extended family, friends and their possessions behind to start a new life. Jaroslav was in his forties when he and his family humbly began a life in a foreign country by learning a new language, living in a trailer, working in a factory, and not knowing anyone. It took him a long time to rebuild his career, working as a moldmaker at Tupco in Auburn and then becoming a design engineer for Tupperware in Woonsocket, RI, Gould & Eberhardt in Webster, and Crisci Tool & Die in Leominster. Surviving WWII as a young man, living through the devaluation of currency, the Russian occupation in Czechoslovakia and starting life anew in the United States shaped Jaroslav to be the strong, proud, independent and hard-working man that he was. He will be missed.
Throughout his life and well into his retirement years, he spent free time cultivating his many talents. When he was not building houses, garages, furniture, cars, campers or a motor boat, he was creating mechanical and
architectural drawings or making wooden airplane, castle, and car models. His passion for airplanes compelled him to periodically visit local area airports where he reminisced about his younger days during WWII and his service in the Air Force. He was also musically talented, playing the violin and mandolin.
He leaves a son Ivo Slezak and his companion Brenda Letourneau of Hubbardston; a daughter Alenka Slezak and her husband Luka Serdar, Jr. of Lexington; his granddaughter Petra McKown of Moss Beach, CA and her husband, Jeff McKown and their two daughters Maya and Meara and their newborn son Micah McKown; his granddaughter Emily Slezak of Hardwick, MA and her companion Jeff Harding; his grandson Luka Serdar of Washington, DC; and his granddaughter Lenka Serdar of Lexington, MA.
BRITTON-WALLACE FUNERAL HOME is assisting the family with arrangements.