John Kopczynski was born in Buffalo, NY on April 30, 1917 and was a lifetime resident of Western New York. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology where he studied engineering and graduated in 1939. He was employed at Bell Aircraft where he became Chief Tool Engineer. John started his own business in 1945 and later founded St. Mary Manufacturing Corporation, a metalworking firm. During his lifetime he succeeded in obtaining over 80 patents. In 1975, John also founded Ascension Sheet & Metal Fabrication, Inc.
As apparent in the names of his companies, he was a deeply religious man. In August 1976, he was part of the welcoming committee for 20 Catholic bishops from Poland visiting Niagara Falls. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then Archbishop of Krakow, lead the delegation and John coordinated their tour. On October 22, 1978, John and his wife Alice attended the investiture of Pope John Paul II in Rome, which was one of his life’s highlights. A significant religious achievement was his being appointed a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem by the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. John was a member of the Board of Regents of Canisius College and Chairman of its “Chair of Polish Culture” and was also a member emeritus of the Council of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
John Kopczynski died in February 2005 leaving behind a successful business and a family charitable foundation to carry on all his hopes, dreams and aspirations.