Francis L. Urbaniak
Seaman First Class Francis Lawrence Urbaniak, USS Terror (CM-5), U.S. Navy
Seaman First Class Francis Lawrence Urbaniak was born in Camden, NJ, in 1925, and resided with his parents at 1189 Chestnut Street in Camden. As a youth he attended St. Joseph Parochial School, Lincoln Elementary, Cooper B. Hatch Junior High, and Camden County Vocational School in Pennsauken, NJ. Before entering the Navy in May of 1943, he was the manager of the fruit department of the A&P Supermarket on Haddon Avenue in Camden.
After two years of faithful service, Frank Urbaniak died on May 1, 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, at the age of 20. He was awarded the Purple Heart. He was survived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Czarniecka; brothers Fireman First Class Peter, with the Navy in the Pacific, Private Dominic, then in Germany, and Chester, at home; and two sisters, Constance and Catherine. Solemn High Requiem Mass was celebrated for him at St. Joseph's Church, South 10th & Mechanic Streets in Camden, NJ, on July 14, 1945. His death was reported in the July 7, 1945 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.
Frank Urbaniak was brought home aboard the USAT Dalton Victory early in 1949. After a funeral at the Stanley Ciechanowski Funeral Home at 1309–11 South 10th Street in Camden, he was buried at New Camden Cemetery in Camden, NJ, on March 19, 1949, at Plot F110, Grave 4.
Frank Urbaniak Rites Tomorrow
Camden Courier-Post —
High Mass for S/1c Frank L. Urbaniak will be celebrated tomorrow at 9 a.m. in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Tenth and Mechanic streets. Relatives and friends will meet at 8:30 a.m. in the funeral home at 1311 South Tenth street, where friends may call tonight.
A guard of honor will be posted in the funeral home tonight by Laskowski-Wojtkowiak post, 74, American Legion, which will conduct military rites tomorrow. There will be a firing squad from the Philadelphia Naval Base.
Seaman Urbaniak was killed while serving on the USS Terror at Okinawa, May 1, 1945, at the age of 20. Before entering the navy he was manager of the fruit department of the A & P Super Market in the 1100 block on Haddon avenue, and lived at 1189 Chestnut street.
Surviving are three brothers, Dominic L., Ashland; Chester, Camden; and Peter, Evelyn; two sisters, Mrs. Catherine Lenkowski and Mrs. Constance Lenkowski, and his stepfather, Joseph Czarniewski, of Camden. His mother, Mrs. Mary Czarniewski, died Aug. 10, 1948.
New Camden Cemetery, Camden NJ
Family grave monument of Francis Urbaniak, Mary Czarniecka, and Chester Urbaniak at New Camden Cemetery, NE Corner of Mount Ephraim & Ferry Avenues, Camden, NJ