Peter's Obituary
Peter Joseph Golanski, 82, of Meriden, formerly of Wallingford, loving husband of JoAnn (Benigni) Golanski for 57 years, passed away at his home surrounded by his family on November 24, 2023.
Peter was born in Meriden on May 18, 1941, son of the late Peter and Ann (France) Golanski.
In addition to his wife, JoAnn, he is survived by his son, Peter August Golanski and his wife, Jennifer Nowlan, of Bristol; his daughter, Jaime Jo Golanski-Zmijewski and her husband, Raymond of Meriden; and his granddaughter, Taylor Alexa Zmijewski of Allston, MA.
Whether you referred to him as Peter, Pete, Coach G., Mr. G., dad, poppy or pops, one thing was certain - he was truly a remarkable man. Now, if you crossed paths with our dad, you could have been a student of his at Jefferson Middle School, Xavier High School, New Milford High School, Bacon Academy, Mercy High School, Independent Day School or Washington Middle School. You could have played basketball or baseball for him at Washington Middle School or played football for him at Maloney. He also coached football at Xavier High School for a few years early on in his career, as an Assistant QB Coach (34 game winning streak 1971, 1972 & undefeated in 1974) and then returned to coach the Falcons in 1985-1992 as the Defensive Coordinator, while my brother played for him and I did the stats for the team on the sidelines. His most recent coaching gig was as the Head Coach for the Mercy Girls Golf team, where he coached for over 25 years. He had over 300 wins during his career with the Mercy Tigers, for which he was quite proud - and rightly so. He also spent years coaching various Meriden Girls softball teams. His dedication to kids, in all capacities, was truly remarkable and he touched so many lives throughout the years. You may have had the joy of being one of his dance partners. He loved to dance, even if he was the only one, flailing his arms with his crazy dance moves, taking out the best of them. You could find him at the golf course with his golf cart cover and heater, trying to perfect his game, even in the frigid temps. Most recently, you could find him wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with his hat and nose warmer on, blasting his favorite game show on tv. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
Per Peter’s request, all services are private. Arrangements are under the direction of The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 North Main Street Ext., Wallingford. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to: The American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org);
The National Celiac Association (https://nationalceliac.org)
or the Meriden Humane Society (www.meridenhumanesocietyrescue.com)
www.wallingfordfh.com
