Kenneth Drozdzal

Kenneth Robert Drozdzal was a man who worked hard. He was an Army veteran, a postal worker for almost thirty years, a welder, a farmer and did countless other jobs starting as a young boy in Albany, NY where he was born and raised. He loved to work and had the drive, determination, strength, and grit to put his head down and do any task that needed doing. His work ethic and tenacity was what people always noticed first and foremost about him until they got to know him at all because they quickly realized that his love was not for the work but for what all of that hard work allowed him to do and be for the people he loves. As a kid he was always looking out for his siblings and kids in the neighborhood who were in bad situations and couldn't help themselves or who had nobody to care and he continued that pattern throughout his life, helping anyone he could help. He enlisted in the Army at eighteen after his parents passed and found a career with the dignity, respect, honor and dedication that characterized him as a man. He had dreams of being career military but sadly he was forced to retire after getting injured in his mid twenties. That setback did not hold him down for long however because by this time he had started a family. He married Jacqueline S. Drozdzal (nee Trudo) who predeceased him last year, and had two sons, Michael and Mark, and he refused to let anything keep him from being everything he could be and giving all he could give to them so he started his main career at the post office. He was smart and so he taught himself to fix our house, our cars, and most any other problem we had that he didn't feel we would benefit from fixing ourselves. He learned to coach so he could be part of his sons' little league team and would be there no matter how busy or tired he was for practice and games. He was always what and where we needed him to be without fail and would do anything to ensure the safety and happiness of his family and friends. A perfect example of who he was as a man is how he would happily make himself look silly to strangers by jumping up to get hit in the head by tree branches simply to make his infant son laugh and feel better. He'd walk for hours pushing a stroller after a day in the Army and would be the only father on the playground in deep snow pushing his son on the swing. The standards he set for himself about what made a good man, husband and father were amazingly high, more so than could ever be justified asking of anyone and yet he did his best to hold himself to those standards every day. Yes, his life was heavily focused on work and people thought he was just a workaholic, but his motive was always love and he would give the shirt off his back to his family or friends which will always be his proud legacy. There is no way to know what journey he is on now but one thing is certain, if kindness, compassion, selflessness, honor, integrity, strength, respect and love are rewarded then he surely will be. For him though, caring for those he loves is all the reward he ever cared about which is why he is so loved by those he leaves behind.