Michael A. Iwanowicz ’60 died on June 28, 2020 in Norwood, Massachusetts.
(The following was published by The Boston Globe on July 5, 2020)
On June 28, 2020, with family at his side, Michael A. “Deacon Mike” Iwanowicz, age 81, of Norwood and formerly of Walpole rejoined his late wife, the greatest love of his life, Patricia (Rourke) Iwanowicz, in eternal life. Mike and Pat had a rich married life of love and family for 28 years. Mike was brother to Anne Nix of California, father and father-in-law to Matt of Jamaica Plain, Timothy and Amy of Peterborough, NH, Peter and Sue of Delmar, NY, and Sue and Arash of Irvine, CA. Grampy had great love for his six grandchildren, Henry, Evie, Katie, Andrew, Ethan, and Ellie. He also cherished his visits to California to see his niece, Hilary, and nephews, Joe, Ben, and Andy and their families. From his first date with Pat in 1962, Mike was welcomed by the Rourke family and blessed to have their love and support all his days.
Although he worked in the Information Technology sector for over 25 years, his ordination in 1976 as a member of the Archdiocese of Boston’s first class of Permanent Deacons started his true calling, a lifelong journey of intense commitment to the Church he loved, parish service, and spiritual enrichment. For nearly 40 years, Deacon Mike was assigned to, and of service to, Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Sharon. If you are reading this, you undoubtedly were baptised by, married by, or heard a homily by Deacon Mike. When you shared a faith moment with Deacon Mike, you became a fabric of his story and we all know how he loved making connections in his personal relationships.
Born to the late Jacob and Shelley Iwanowicz, Mike was raised in South Lynnfield with his sister Anne Nix and the late Susan, graduated Bowdoin College, and received graduate degrees from Babson and Boston Colleges. From his earliest childhood days to his last day, Mike was a devoted, obsessed fan of the Boston Red Sox. His only life disappointment was being unable to convince team ownership to hire him as their manager. Mike was an early adopter of Facebook and relished in connecting with people from across his large family, parishes, Norwood and Walpole friends, and beyond. He had a regular Walpole Cable TV program, wrote a column for many years with the Walpole Times, and engaged with people via radio, town meetings, and restaurant tables. He had a voluminous vocabulary, a dedication to precise language, and a heart of unbridled kindness.