William F. Marak, Sr., 92, of Wallingford, passed away Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at the Whitney Manor, Hamden. He was born on November 1, 1919 in New Haven and was the son of the late Charles and Anna Kosta Marak. William graduated from West Haven High School in 1939 and immediately joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. Upon completion of his six month enlistment, he joined the Connecticut National Guard, eventually serving in the South Pacific in World War II. He was wounded in New Guinea and invalided out to Australia to recover. His awards and decorations included the Distinguished Unit Badge, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Sevice Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Silver Star, World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation and Philippines Liberation Medal with two bronze stars for his war time service. Following his honorable discharge from the army, he joined the New Haven Fire Department where he served with distinction for more than 30 years until his retirement in 1975. He is survived by his sons, William F. Marak, Jr. (Mary); David Marak (Lorraine) and Steven Marak (Cathy) and daughters, Linda Barletta (Rocco), Cynthia Adinolfi (Paul) and Claudia Fasano (Peter), 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers, Theodore Marak; Robert Marak and sister Marjorie Gagne. He was predeceased by his first wife, Doris Peck Marak; his second wife, Dorothy Marak and his daughters Pamela Marak Jamilkowski, Barbara Marak Keegan and Mary Ann Marak and also six brothers and sisters.
His funeral procession will leave the North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, Monday morning at 10:30. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in St. Frances Cabrini Church, North Haven at 11:00. Interment will follow in St. Lawrence Cemetery. The visiting hours will be Monday morning from 9 to 10:30 at the funeral home.