Dr. Rodney Nowakowski

Dr. Rodney Edward Nowakowski was born May 7, 1918 to the late Rudolph and Josephine Nowakowski in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He was the first of 5 children. He attended the University of Wisconsin, majoring in French, where he met his wife Hazel Conlon, after responding to an ad for ballroom dance lessons in her dance school. While attending college he lettered in fencing and was an active member of the theater group. He served during WWII in the Army Air Force from 1942 - 1945 as a navigator-bombardier. He flew over three thousand hours in various training aircraft as a bombardier instructor and then flew combat missions in the Pacific during 1945 in the B-29 Superfortress. Following the war he became an elementary school teacher of Physical Education and Science in Coral Gables, Florida. He was the first Principal of David Fairchild Elementary School in Coral Gables and eventually became a District Director in the Dade County School System (Miami, Florida). In 1966 he earned the Doctorate of Education from the University of Miami. He was an active member of the Coral Gables Congregational Church and served terms as Treasurer and President of the Board of Directors. Throughout his career he worked evenings with Hazel in her Cotillion Clubs in Coral Gables and Miami, Florida teaching adolescents ballroom dancing and social etiquette. They were married for 57 years and moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 1994 to be with their children. That reunion was short-lived as Hazel preceded him, passing away on May 14, 1995. He then moved to Stuart, Florida but returned to Birmingham in 2005. Throughout his life he was an avid dancer, automobile aficionado, accomplished sailor and expert fisherman who fished and boated throughout the Everglades, Florida Keys and Biscayne Bay. Among his many volunteer activities, he was Santa Claus on Christmas Eve at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham for 10 years. He is survived by his two children Dr. Vasha N. Rosenblum and Dr. Rodney W. Nowakowski, a brother Roger Nowakowski and a sister Corrine Kubilik, grandchildren Karl Rosenblum, Wendy Bannister and Rachel Hardesty plus 5 great-grandchildren. He would want to be remembered with his son-in-law Dr. Bill Rosenblum and daughter-in-law Dr. Debi Nowakowski as well as two special friends, Eulene Roberts and the late Sarah “Fran” Hanan. He led a full, productive and patriotic life and moved gracefully toward the end by celebrating his final birthday ballroom dancing at The Club as he turned 91 on May 7, 2009. He left us on July 1, 2009. A memorial service will be held at Currie-Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, 2701 John Hawkins Parkway in Hoover, Alabama on July 17, 2009 at 1:00PM with Visitation beginning at 12:00 Noon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Boulevard, Coral Gables, Florida 33134.