Ronald Robert Wisniewski

Ronald Robert (Bob) Wisniewski, beloved husband of Dolores Wisniewski (nee Rozbicki), died on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. Bob, known to his family as The ‘Dziaj’ or Dzia Dzia (Polish for
grandfather) succumbed to complications from a stroke at 88 years old.

Bob was a kind and creative man who loved the arts, travel, and, most of all, his family. Born in April 1932 in Buffalo, New York to Helen and Bernard, Bob was the fifth of six children (Richard, Leonard, Donald, Elaine and Barbara.) He spent his formative years playing kick the can and stickball, making Superman capes, sneaking into movies, walking to school in the snow (uphill both ways), and teaching himself how to paint and sculpt.

Upon graduating from Pine Hill High School in Cheektowaga, New York, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He worked as an airplane mechanic in Valdosta, GA for four years and was proud of the fact that none of the planes he worked on ever went down. Upon completion of his military service, Bob took advantage of the G.I Bill to help him pursue a college education. He took a detour back to Buffalo to complete a few course prerequisites which turned into a trip home he would never forget.

While in Buffalo, Bob went on a date with another Buffalo native, a redhead named Dolores. Even though Dolores spilled her coffee on him twice during that first date, Bob proposed soon after. They began a lifetime of adventures together moving south to The University of Miami for an education and a lot less snow.

Bob and Dolores started their family together in Florida and were joined by their first born (Tu’lann) and then their second born (Ky’lynn) a year later. The family lived in the married dorms, where Bob juggled fatherhood and school, and Dolores juggled motherhood, a job, and supported Bob by typing and reviewing his papers. Despite an already hectic schedule, Bob somehow managed to carve out time to start a fraternity for other married G.I.s at school. They named the Fraternity Xi Gamma Iota (for “ex-G.I.’s”).

In 1961, Bob earned his Bachelor of Education degree and the family moved to Fairfax County, Virginia where he began teaching art at Poe Middle School. They chose Northern Virginia because of its proximity to the art galleries and museums in Washington, DC, and because it seemed to be a happy medium between the cold of Buffalo and the heat of Florida.

It was in Virginia that Bob and Dolores had their third born (Ronita) and their fourth born (Roron). Bob eventually moved to a new job at Edison High School, where he was hired as one of their art teachers and he eventually rose to become Chair of the Art Department. As a teacher, Bob went above and beyond for his students, organizing field trips to art galleries in both Washington, DC and New York City. Many of his students went on to have great art careers and kept in touch through the years. Later in his career, Bob found time to earn his Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, and he held exhibits of his multi-media creations – drawings, paintings, photographs, and sculpture – whenever possible. He retired from teaching at Lake Braddock High School. There are countless stories of Bob’s adventures, ranging from sneaking on to the sideline of a professional football game where his kids were performing the half-time show to climbing down on the rocks at the base of Niagara Falls to “get the right shot” to chasing away bears on family vacations. Bob was always in the right place at the right time to keep his family entertained.

In 1977, Bob and Dolores bought a time-share at Virginia Beach. That purchase ended up being one of the best decisions they ever made for the family. An annual tradition of a week vacation to the beach has lasted more than four decades and has expanded to include a second time-share to fit all the grandchildren. Bob always cheered for his children by attending events including marching band, Special Olympics,basketball, softball, baseball, homecoming, and any other event that he could get into. Once his kids began their own families, Bob continued his support by attending his grandchildren’s activities as often as possible. He was right there for hockey, soccer, and basketball games, swim meets, ballet and ice-skating performances, regattas, choral and band concerts, and school plays and musicals. He was the photographer, videographer, and all-around number one fan. When time allowed, Bob and Dolores started to travel more widely, including internationally. They traveled to Europe once as part of a tour and many other times on their own so Bob could create his own adventures. They traveled twice to Hong Kong and China, where Bob got to fulfill a lifelong dream of walking on the Great Wall. In recent years, Bob finally warmed up to the idea of cruising, and he and Dolores took cruises to Alaska, Panama, the Caribbean, and Cuba, exploring places they always dreamed of visiting.

When he was not traveling or doing things with family, you could always find Bob with his head in a book or being creative on his computer. He did his best to keep up with the times and enjoyed keeping in touch with family and friends through Facebook. Bob remained physically active mowing his own lawn, raking his own leaves, chopping firewood, doing home repairs (his and sometimes his children’s) and taking regular walks in the neighborhood. He was well known and loved by many of his neighbors. Bob is survived by his wife, Dolores; his four children: Tu’lann (Steve) von Christierson, Ky’lynn Wisniewski, Ronita (Steve) Hook, Roron (Julie) Wisniewski; and his five grandchildren: Kyra and Trevor von Christierson, Reed and Andrew Wisniewski, and Isabel Hook.

The family will receive friends at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mount Vernon Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309 on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 9:30 AM until the time of his Mass at 11:00 AM. Inurnment will be at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Food Bank supported by Good Shepherd. I will update that information as soon as available.

For those who are not able to attend the Mass, please follow this link to watch the services https://vimeo.com/462686120/e40e0b42cb

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, Alexandria, VA
https://www.cunninghamfuneralhome.net/obituary/