Adam Thomas Dynowski

Adam Thomas Dynowski of Groton/Littleton passed away on December 6th at the age of 96.

Few people can forget the man with the Polish accent and a smile always on his face. He lived a full life but dealt with hardship early on. Born in pre-war Krakow, Poland, he joined the army at 15 to complete his education, but the Germans invaded Poland a few months later and changed the course of his life. On September 2, 1939, his 16th birthday, he was captured and became a prisoner of war for the next six years. He was sent to Berlin and later Norway. Upon liberation of his camp, and with Poland behind the Iron Curtain, he received passage to the U.S. where he had relatives. He spent the next 5 years in New Jersey, where he learned English, taught driving and became a US citizen. In 1953, he moved to Los Angeles to work for Bethlehem Steel as a machinist, his employer for the next 30 years. A year later, he met Dorothy Poole of North Hollywood at a dance at the Polish social hall and they married that same year. They settled in the suburbs and raised two daughters in West Covina. Dorothy died in 1996 after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, and Adam moved east to be near his daughters. He lived in Florida and Westborough, Massachusetts, where he delivered Meals on Wheels, then in Littleton, Groton and Ayer. In his retirement and into his 80s, he traveled regularly to Botswana in Southern Africa to visit his daughter and her family, a place that grew to be like a second home and where he enjoyed the lifestyle, the people and the many adventures while on safari. In 2003, he returned to Poland with his daughters and spent a very special time showing them his boyhood landmarks. Adam was a history buff and loved languages. He enjoyed baseball, family camping trips, fishing, cooking and working on cars. He was a vibrant and friendly person known by all. He said he was grateful for being given a new start after the war.

He is predeceased by his wife of 40 years, Dorothy (Poole) Dynowski. He is survived by his daughters, Michelle Emerle (Gary), Groton, MA, and Monica Smith (Michael), Botswana; his grandchildren, Stephen Smith, Herndon, VA, Emily Smith, Atlanta, GA, Brent Emerle and Taryn Emerle, Groton, MA; his brother-in-law Rev. Stafford Poole, Perryville, MO; and his Polish relatives in Toronto.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Adam on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Badger Funeral Home, 347 King Street, Littleton. His funeral service will follow at 11:00 am. The burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Adam's name to:
Minuteman Meals on Wheels
26 Crosby Drive
Bedford, MA 01730
or online at https://www.minutemansenior.org/our-services/senior-nutrition/meals-on-wheels