Rotary club honors Parzynski for half a century of service

He played a significant role in the expansion of the Belle Vernon Area club.

For 50 years, Leonard Parzynski has quietly shown up for his community, whether it meant leading Rotary projects, unloading trucks full of grapefruit in the middle of winter, serving on borough council or comforting families through some of their hardest days.

On Thursday, the Belle Vernon Area Rotary Club returned the favor by celebrating the man many say helped shape the heart of the organization.

State Rep. Eric Davanzo congratulates Leonard Parzynski. Submitted

When Parzynski walked into Cedarbrook Clubhouse expecting an ordinary Belle Vernon Area Rotary meeting, he was greeted instead by a standing ovation, hugs, tears and family members proud to celebrate a man whose life has become synonymous with Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”

The applause caught him off guard.

“What the heck’s going on here?” Parzynski said as he stopped in the doorway, taking in a banquet hall full of familiar faces rising to honor his 50 years with the Belle Vernon Area Rotary Club.

Parzynski is just the second member in club history to reach the 50-year milestone.

For those who know him best, however, the night was about much more than the number.

It was about decades of service, leadership and compassion that stretched far beyond Rotary meetings.

Parzynski and his wife, Joyce, purchased what is now Parzynski Funeral Home & Cremations in 1975, moving into the Broad Avenue residence in April 1976. The historic building, originally built in the early 1900s as a private residence, became not only the family business, but also home, where Leonard and Joyce raised their children, Michael and Michelle.

Over the years, the funeral home expanded several times to better serve local families, adding visitation chapels, office space, stained-glass windows and peaceful landscaping surrounding the property. But while Parzynski built a respected business rooted in compassion, friends and fellow Rotarians say his impact on the community extended far beyond the funeral home walls.

He served as Rotary president in 1980-81, earned the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow recognition in 1988 and remained active in countless community efforts throughout the Mon Valley.

He has also served on North Belle Vernon Council, volunteered with the Salvation Army Advisory Board, worked with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, remained active with St. Sebastian Church and dedicated years of service to the North Belle Vernon Fire Department.

Funny enough, among fellow Rotarians, some of the most memorable stories involve oranges and grapefruit.

For decades, Parzynski chaired the club’s annual fruit-sale fundraiser, an effort that became legendary among members. Club President Debbie Puglia said Leonard’s son and fellow Rotarian Mike Parzynski calculated the club sold 48,738 cases of fruit during Leonard’s 40 years overseeing the project, totaling nearly one million individual oranges and grapefruit.

“That’s a lot of vitamin C and half of it he paid for himself,” she said.

The stories that followed painted a picture of cold winter nights unloading fruit trucks, scrambling to find storage space and Rotarians working side by side long after midnight to make the fundraiser successful. Vice President Chris Giannamore recalled waiting in freezing temperatures for deliveries that sometimes arrived hours late.

Eventually, the program came to an end.

“I think that’s the closest I’ve ever seen Leonard come to tears,” Giannamore said of the night the club decided it could no longer continue the fruit sale because storage space was unavailable. “That is one of so many reasons you are absolutely the epitome of service above self.”

Longtime Rotarian Fred Exley remembered first meeting Parzynski shortly after he arrived in the Belle Vernon area and admiring how quickly he immersed himself in the community.

“You had from the very beginning a genuine smile and just a good nature about you and the compassion that you show toward people,” Exley said.

Exley credited Parzynski with helping grow the club from a small group of roughly a dozen members into the thriving organization it is today.

The Belle Vernon Area Rotary Club now includes more than 60 members and remains active throughout the Mon Valley through youth mentorship programs, community beautification projects, historical preservation efforts and annual service events.

The evening also celebrated the next generation of service.

As another surprise for Parzynski, his granddaughter, Rachel Parzynski- Weaver, was sworn in as the club’s newest member, making it three generations of the family involved in Rotary.

After taking the Rotary oath, she said watching both her grandfather and father serve the community inspired her to become involved herself.

“I grew up watching them, and it was something important for me to do,” she said.

Parzynski became emotional speaking about seeing his granddaughter continue the family’s legacy.

“I’m so proud of my granddaughter, Rachel, for being here tonight and taking membership,” he said. “I hope we can teach her the same as our elders taught us.”

“I grew up being taught to give back from my father, and seeing my daughter also take that same lesson to heart is special,” Mike Parzynski said.

State Rep. Eric Davanzo said communities need more people willing to follow Parzynski’s example.

“We need folks just like you to be role models for our younger generation,” Davanzo said during the ceremony.

North Belle Vernon Council Vice President Karen Jones praised Parzynski for decades of service to the borough.

“Your devotion has never wavered,” Jones said. “You’ve given your time, your talent and especially your heart to ensure that North Belle Vernon continues to thrive.”

Despite the plaques, applause and emotional speeches, Parzynski remained humble throughout the evening.

“I had great teachers,” he said of the Rotarians who mentored him over the years. “They taught us well.”

Then, looking around the room at the people he spent decades serving beside, Parzynski offered one final message of gratitude.

“It’s been a pleasure working with everyone here, you all are incredible,” he said. “God bless every one of you. I am so proud to be a Rotarian.”