John Paul Barnoski

John Paul Barnoski "Barney" passed at age 92 on October 30, 2020, at The Carolton in Fairfield, Connecticut. John was born on May 21, 1928 in Scranton, PA to the late John and Blanche Misiewicz Barnoski where he resided until age 12 at which time the family moved to Bridgeport, CT. He received an education in Bridgeport and worked after school at Logan Brothers, Westinghouse, and The Bullard Company. John enlisted in the Navy in 1945 where he served as a Fire Controlman Petty Officer First Class in WWII and the Korean War. Upon his discharge he returned to Bridgeport where he joined The Bullard Company in the Service and Engineering Departments.
During a furlough John met and married his loving wife of 58 years, the late Wanda Savich Barnoski. He and Wanda enjoyed raising their family at their home in Fairfield, CT, and their summer lakeside "lodge" that they designed and built together in Holmes, NY. As a true Renaissance man, John not only constructed his lakeside retirement home and future additions, but he also built massive stone walls around the property as well as fieldstone walls to retain the sloping land along the beach. Professional masons who viewed his work were astounded that he had no formal training. Everything he learned was from reading books since he was an avid reader throughout his lifetime. Since John's work required extensive travel throughout the country, he learned to decompress by painting, creating stain glass panels, and wood carving using a chainsaw. One wood creation was featured in Birds and Blooms magazine while a hand-painted fabric quilt was awarded a ribbon by the Connecticut Piecemakers Quilt Guild. In the later years of his life when he resided at Teresian Towers in Trumbull, he became well-known as The Painter and was a featured artist at an art exhibit at Trumbull Town Hall at age 90. He painted hundreds of paintings for over a decade that he gave to visitors, family, friends, and complete strangers as a reminder to all that life does not end at a certain age or because of an ailment or two. On the back of every canvas he wrote, "It has been said, THE BEST GIFT IS THE ONE YOU DIDN'T EXPECT TO RECEIVE."
John is survived by his loving daughter, Diane Harrison and her husband Jeffrey of Holmes, NY, his son, Daniel John Barnoski of Trumbull, CT, his beloved grandson, Jonathan B. Harrison and his wife Dr. Cristina Fox of Valparaiso, IN, along with four nieces and three nephews and their families. He was predeceased by sisters, Eleanor Majkut, and Dorothy Mileski, as well as brother, Richard Berns.
Friends and family are invited to attend a socially distanced graveside service and internment with full military honors at St. Joseph of Stratford National Catholic Church Cemetery at 1300 Stratford Road, Stratford, CT, at 11:00 AM on Friday, November 6, 2020.