Obituary of Dr. Thaddeus J. Spak

Dr. Thaddeus "Ted" Spak, 86, passed away on August 10, 2023 in Bridgeport, CT. He was a beloved and devoted husband, father, grandfather and surgeon.

Ted was born on September 6, 1937 in Krakow, Poland. He graduated from Jagiellonian University in Krakow with a degree in medicine. He was fond of reminding his family that Jagiellonian was founded in 1364 and counted Copernicus and Pope John II as alumni.

In 1964 Ted married Mary Szpak and in 1968 they made the difficult decision to leave nearly everything behind and move to the United States. They settled in Huntington, NY where they raised their two sons and Ted practiced orthopedic surgery for the rest of his career. His patients remember him as gentle and kind, serious but with a twinkle in his eye and always wearing his signature bow ties.

Ted loved the simple things in life, a good pipe, his newspaper and books, a walk in nature, a visit with his family. He liked to putter in his yard both in Huntington and the family's cottage in Montauk and fix the things that seemed unfixable. He enjoyed the chance to travel, his favorite trips spent hiking with his sons and enjoying the peace of Switzerland with Mary. In 2022 he and Mary moved to Connecticut to be closer to family.

Ted was predeceased by his parents, siblings, and son Charles. He is survived by his wife Mary, son James, daughter-in-law Caroline and his beloved granddaughters Emily and Amanda, to whom he was most devoted.

Burial will be private.