John Poludniak

John Gary Poludniak, 79, of Ovid, New York passed away on Monday, August 12th, after a valiant 4-year battle with cancer. He was born on June 27, 1945 in Norwalk, Ohio to Ray and Florence Poludniak and passed away with family at his side at the VA Medical Center in Syracuse, New York. As the son of a Baptist minister, John lived in a few different areas of the northeast including Ohio, New York, and New Jersey but spent most of his growing up years in Marathon, New York with summers spent on the shore of Cayuga Lake where there were two family cottages that hold many cherished memories for him and his extended family. During the 1960’s, he served in the military starting with basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey then serving at the NIKE missile site at Redstone Arsenal outside of Huntsville, Alabama. His last assignment was at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. For the majority of his adult years John lived in the greater Ithaca area, raising children in the Dryden school district. After finishing undergraduate school at TC3 where he served as student senate president, he then graduated from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He worked for many years at the non-profit Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services fixing homes and apartment buildings with the goal of expanding housing opportunities for low and moderate-income residents and preserving old homes rather than tearing them down. He later served as the on-site ranger and caretaker at the Boy Scouts of America Baden-Powell Council’s Camp Barton on Cayuga Lake in Trumansburg, New York from 1995 to 2003. He finished his career as the town of Covert’s code enforcement officer. John was adventurous, fun-loving, and prone to be a little goofy at times. He loved animals. He took thousands of photos over the years of his travels, friends, and family (something for which the family is very glad). He was also a detail-oriented perfectionist. Those who knew and loved John know that he was very mechanically-minded with the ability to fix just about anything. He used this talent to help many people in need including family, friends, and even strangers. This included many hours spent fixing things at Lamoka Baptist Camp. He also built his own home where he resided in Ovid with his wife and pets for the last twenty plus years. One of his great loves was the water (especially the lake) and boating. He was also a bit of a thrill seeker and liked to combine that with creative innovations. Regular water skiing was not quite enough for John. He expanded his repertoire to barefoot skiing, slalom, ski jumps, and skiing on a chair or high chair placed on top of a wooden ski disk. When he didn’t have access to a lake he skied behind a car in the ditches while stationed in Alabama! He also rigged up zip lines, rope swings, an oversized wooden kneeboard so he could pull several of his children, nieces, and nephews at once behind a boat, and many other contraptions that created lasting memories. During his military years, John drove across the country and back many times visiting several National Parks and taking loads of photos. John also loved music, from the Beach Boys to traditional hymns and praise music. He had a wonderful singing voice and performed in many high school and church productions as well as singing for his family. He was involved at Calvary Baptist Church in Trumansburg where he taught Awana, sang in the choir, and participated in the men’s ministry. He also kept in touch with several of his lifelong friends from his high school days, talking with some of them almost daily up until the time of his hospitalization. John is survived by many loved ones including his wife (Georgia), his children (Todd and Audra), stepson (Philip), grandchildren (Alivia, Ethan, Jemma, Kiralyn, Felicity, Ayla, and Aveline), siblings (Norm, Steve, Joel, and Rachel), the 94-year old matriarch of the family (Juanita Elwood), stepmother (Jan), and several extended family members. The family wishes to thank the staff at the VA Medical Center for their extraordinary care during John’s long battle with prostate cancer. We are especially appreciative of the palliative team and “6 Bravo” team of nurses who provided wonderful care and support during his final days. Additionally, we wish to thank Dr. Whiting and the students at Northeast College of Health & Science’s Seneca Falls Health Center who have also provided great comfort and care over the last several years. A thanks to all the friends and family who have been there to lend prayer, support, and encouragement over these past few years that have been so difficult. John’s family is thankful for the extra time they had with him but rejoice that his pain and suffering is now over. They take comfort in some of the lyrics to one of his favorite songs to sing over the years: “God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive
He bled and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove My Savior lives Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives And then one day, I'll cross that river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory
And I'll know He lives” A memorial service followed by a fellowship meal will be held at 11am on Saturday, August 24th at Calvary Baptist Church (5 Bradley Street, Trumansburg, New York). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of John to Finger Lakes Pregnancy Care (210 West Green Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 / fingerlakespc.com).