John Kotyla

John was born to immigrant parents Paul and Julia (Pindur) Kotyla on March 23,1930 in Philadelphia.  He shared his loving parents with his sister Sophie L. Kotyla growing up in the Nicetown section of the city.  He attended school at St. Ladislaus grade school (aka Polelock College) and Simon Gratz High School.  He loved the game of soccer was an avid player in the 40’s.  He served his country in battle during the Korean War.  
After the war, he spent much of his time at Pulaski Hall or Pulaski Citizens or Kotter’s bar having a good time with friends. 
 In 1965, he found love and married Frances Michalcczyk.   He was a great father to his son JohnPaul Kotyla Sr. born in 1966.  He was a loving father in law to Helen (Washburn) Kotyla.  He adored and gleamed with pride over his three grandchildren Erika Kotyla, JohnPaul Kotyla II, and Julia Kotyla.  
He worked at the Budd Company on Hunting Park Avenue until his retirement in 1992.  He moved to New Jersey in 2003 where he lived in Pitman and in Mullica Hill, only wishing he had come sooner to spend more time with his grandchildren.  
He was overjoyed to spend much of his time eating tootsie pops and watching cartoons with his great granddaughter Sophia Theresa Pastore.  He loved old westerns on American Movie Classics and oddly enough in his later years grew fond of the Jerry Springer show.  
He was a simple man who never drove a car and was an avid NJT 410 bus rider where he had met many new friends in his daily travels to the Liberty Diner at Frankford and Pratt back in the city to get his poor man special breakfast and to see old friends.  His nickname was “Russian” to the older Nicetown crowd and his nickname to many of the younger Nicetown crowd whom he referred to as snot noses was “Cockroach”.  
He was a faithful Phillies and Eagles fan who had the chance to see the 2008 World Series. Unfortunately he could not take seeing that the Phillies did nothing after this year’s trade deadline July 31st.
 He lived with the ones he loved unconditionally until his death today, August 1, 2013.  
Servies for John will be private.