Andrzej Michael Iwanicki

Andrzej (Andre) Iwanicki, 73, of Mont Clare, PA, passed away on November 13, 2024 peacefully at his home after a three-year battle with cancer.

Andre was born on November 19, 1950 in Sanok, Poland. He immigrated to the United States in 1966 and attended Spring-Ford High School. After high school, he worked at the Phoenix Steel Corporation from 1969 to 1983, where he was a chemist/observer in their chemical laboratory.  At Phoenix Steel, he observed and recorded key data during the melting and pouring of steel in their open-hearth furnaces, as well as performed chemical analysis of steel utilizing wet chemical analytical techniques. After the closure of Phoenix Steel, he went on to work at Lukens Steel Company–later Bethlehem Lukens Plate–in Coatesville in their chemical laboratory as an analyst, before being promoted to a technician/foreman in their mechanical test laboratory.  After 35 years, he finished his career as a heat analyst in the electric furnace chemical laboratory in the same Coatesville location, now under Cleveland-Cliffs.

Andre belonged to many social clubs in the Phoenixville area, notably the Polish Club. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, later becoming St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church.

Andre had many passions in life. In the summer, he tended to his garden, where he and his wife grew some of the season’s finest vegetables. He enjoyed cooking and grilling; his Weber was busy all year round. He loved watching all the Philadelphia sports teams and had fond memories of watching boxing matches at the Spectrum. Golf was his favorite sport to watch in his later years.

Over the years, he returned to Poland several times to visit family and friends. Apart from Poland, he loved to travel throughout Europe and to the Jersey Shore, particularly Wildwood and Ocean City. Ocean County became his favorite destination, where he fished from spring to fall on his boat. He enjoyed taking his wife and children to Island Beach State Park. When not traveling, he could be found sitting on his back porch, marveling at the beauty of Mont Clare while feeding the birds, squirrels, foxes, and any other animal that made their way to him.

Andre is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Grazyna (née Kasprowicz), his daughter Susann Iwanicki (Sean Regan), his son Martin Iwanicki, and his amazing cat Zorba.

Friends and family are invited to Devlin-Gatcha Funeral Home, 517 S. Main Street, Phoenixville, PA for a visitation on Monday, November 18th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. 

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, November 19th at 10:00 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 212 Dayton Street, Phoenixville, PA. A luncheon, which falls on his 74th birthday, will be held immediately after at Phoenixville Country Club, where friends and family are welcome to come celebrate his life. 

Burial will be in Poland at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in his name to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.