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Another Soldier of the 187th ECB passed away. Philip H. Polenske

Another Soldier of the 187th ECB passed away. Philip H. Polenske
Philip Polenske obituary, 1925-2016, Lodi, CA

Philip Polenske Obituary

After a short bout with cancer, Phil passed at the age of 90 on January 7th, 2016 surrounded by his wife and children.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Irene (Ziemann), and daughters Patty Lewan (Bill), and Kathy Polenske, son Jack Polenske, many nephews and nieces as well as his stepmother Eleanor Polenske, stepsister Yvonne Eggers and stepbrother John Eggers. He was preceded in death by his brother Walt Polenske, and sisters Evelyn Mayo and Carolyn Weltzin.
A lifelong resident of Lodi, he was very proud of his mother Freda (Beckman), and father George Polenske who was the long-time Fire Chief of Lodi.
After graduating from Lodi High School in 1943, he entered the Army during WWII. He served with the 187th Engineer Combat Battalion and for a time under General Patton. He was proud of his service and a strong supporter of the men and women in the military. After the war, he returned to Lodi and worked in the printing industry for 41 years.
His greatest enjoyment came from sports, especially tennis, which he played from his teens through his 70s. He coached Jack's Little League teams for many years as well as Patty's tennis career. Some of his best memories were the hours spent at Pickett's playing tennis and hanging out with the guys. Thank you to Larry Eaton and his other tennis buddies who kept in touch and stopped by to visit.
Phil had a keen sense of humor, was smart, hardworking, and loved his family deeply. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.
In memory of his love of tennis and support of youth sports, a tennis scholarship is being established in his name.

Phil Polenske

Best Friends George Vanderhave and Phil Polenske
Notice the patches on both shoulders

If you have any Photos or Memorabilia of Philip you would like to share please pass them along to the187thengcobn@aol.com.

If you are a WWII vet or a family member and wish to include your history or the history of a loved one, I'd love to hear from you. My main emphasis is to acquire the history of the men who served.

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