Mark Dawidziak with his father

Dawidziak’s father passes away

PD and former BJ entertainment critic Mark Dawidziak’s father, Joseph Walter Dawidziak, 96, passed away. He was laid to rest today at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island, New York.

He was born on December 31, 1919.

He was captain and navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II, father of Mark, Joe, Jane, Aileen and Michael. He was married to Claire Dawidziak, who passed away in 1988, and to Bernie Dawidziak, for another 27 years.

Mark was born in Huntington, New York, on September 7, 1956.

He came to the BJ from Tennessee in 1983. Later, he joined the BJ exodus to the PD.

Previously, Mark's career took him to the Kingsport Times-News in Tennessee, the Bristol Herald Courier in Virginia, the Associated Press’ Washington bureau and Knight-Ridder Newspapers’ Washington bureau.