Michael Joseph Lizbinski, Sr., 81, passed away peacefully at his river-view home in Breton Beach in the loving care of his wife, Sarah Lizbinski, and son, Michael Lizbinski, Jr. He was born in Kelyares, Pennsylvania to Mary (Wojslaw) Lizbinski and Adam Lizbinski on December 18, 1942. His parents came from Poland, his father was a coal miner and his mother a homemaker. He was one of many closely-knit brothers and sisters. He and his siblings performed many family chores together including walking long distances in the mountains to pick huckleberries. He and his family attended the Polish National Catholic Church and he sang in the choir. He fixed things around the home for his mother and enjoyed deer hunting and riding his dirt bike on the mountain trails. He was a member of a Little League baseball team of strong coal miner sons who made it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
He graduated from high school in McAdoo, Pennsylvania and attended Penn State- Hazleton Campus and later Penn State- Main Campus where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering. He spent his career as an electrical engineer and software engineer at Westinghouse, Baltimore, Maryland, Naval Air Development Center (NADC), Warminster, Pennsylvania, where he obtained an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from The George Washington University, and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River, Maryland where he retired in 2002.
Michael Lizbinski, Sr. married Sarah Van Dyke Lizbinski in 1977 and they had two wedding ceremonies, one for his family in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and one for her family in Bel Air, Maryland. Michael, Jr. was born in 1978.
During his twenty years with NADC in Warminster, he and his family lived in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. During this time he was an assistant baseball coach of youth teams. Whenever the head coach would go away for an extended time, Mike Sr. would take over as head coach and the previously mediocre team would suddenly go on a winning streak! He also enjoyed auto and home maintenance, including tinkering with small engines. In addition he liked to design and build unique, fun toy projects like a frisbee-launcher made using a 1950’s era egg beater, a fully functioning toy crane for his son’s sandbox, a wooden jungle-gym, a “Spirit of St. Louis” model airplane, and a pendulum clock that swung back and forth using electromagnets. He enjoyed listening to Polish-American polka records and would oftentimes sing along to the music.
He retired to his Breton Beach, Leonardtown, home in 2002 and enjoyed maintaining his small crabbing boat and outboard motor. He and a close friend enjoyed crabbing with a trotline on Breton Bay and they would occasionally trailer their boats to Benedict, Maryland to crab in the Patuxent River. Upon returning from a day of crabbing, he would steam the day’s catch on his screened-in porch and enjoy eating the crabs with family and friends. He enjoyed the company of close friends that he made in the Breton Beach community.
He especially enjoyed using his trusty chainsaw along with a log-splitter to cut firewood for his wood-burning stove. He continued repair and maintenance projects around his home such as fixing his laundry washer and dryer, and keeping outdoor power equipment including his riding lawnmower in working order. He also planted flowers, shrubs, and trees around his yard and enjoyed collecting, processing, and eating chestnuts from his chestnut trees.
He and his wife Sarah were married for forty-six years. They watched the show “Jeopardy!” together every night and kept score to see who could get more questions correct. He was a dedicated husband, father, and family man.
During a Christmas Eve service at FSCC that he attended with his family, Pastor Stan Cardwell’s sermon touched Mike Sr.’s heart and he started attending FSCC regularly. He attended FSCC for many years and has made many good friends here. He enjoyed talking with friends and was knowledgeable about a wide-range of topics. He enjoyed coming to church and, picking up on his Polish National Catholic choir background, enjoyed singing the traditional hymns at FSCC. His faith in God and the reassurance of his family helped him through his last days. What a joy it is to know that he has been released from his pain and that he is now with Christ in heaven!
He is survived by his loving wife, Sarah Lizbinski (Leonardtown), son Michael Lizbinski, Jr. (Leonardtown), daughter-in-law Laura Lizbinski (Leonardtown), brother Chester Lizbinski (Conyngham, PA), sister-in-law Cathy Lizbinski (Conyngham, PA) and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.
The family will received friends on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 10am to 11am with a funeral service starting at 11am celebrated by Pastor Chris Owens all at First Saints Community Church, 25550 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
