NEWS: Capt. Philip Szczepanski, Maryland Wing Public Affairs Officer, passes away
Szczepanski joined the Harford Composite Squadron of the Maryland Wing in September 2002. Col. Jerry Weiss, the current Maryland Wing commander, was the Harford squadron commander at the time and recruited Szczepanski. “I met Phil at a Harford Squadron recruiting event. He came up to me and started a conversation. And the rest is history as they say. He immediately began to teach me the correct pronunciation of his last name which I am proud to say that I mastered,” said Weiss.
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| Capt. Philip Szczepanski, Maryland Wing Public Affairs Officer, in a 2007 photograph. Photo by Capt. Jeff Koubek | |
During his time of service at the Harford squadron, Szczepanski served as both the Public Affairs Officer and the Historian. He was named the Maryland Wing PAO and also Historian of the Year in 2004. Szczepanski served as the project officer for a ceremony that commemorated the 50th anniversary of an airplane crash that killed two Maryland Wing aircrew members, Capt. Anthony J. Synodinos and 1st Lt. Edward G. Conrad, in Havre de Grace, Md. “He was the driving force behind getting the memorial rediscovered and rededicated. We corresponded many hours putting the memorial and its history together. Through his efforts the memories of those who perished that tragic day will live on,” said Col. Larry Trick, Maryland Wing commander during that time.
An avid ham radio operator, Szczepanski transferred to the Maryland Wing headquarters in 2006 where he assumed the position of Director of Communications. Col. Kay Joslin Walling, Middle East Region commander, was the Maryland Wing commander at the time of his transfer. “Phil always had a twinkle in his eye and a million ideas. My favorite memory of Phil is when he took his first glider ride. He took a camera with him and captured a shoot of himself in the glider. The sheer joy on his face proved the old saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ But Phil was never one to just settle for the ordinary. He had that photo blown up as a banner,” remembers Walling.
Szczepanski worked for many years in public relations and was a corporate photographer for CSX. He used those skills to train Civil Air Patrol members during public affairs training sessions and was readily available to photograph Wing events. He taught photography and PhotoShop at the Harford Community College. Walling remembers, “Phil loved to play with photo effects. I still have the photo Phil gave me of the MDWG Formation Flight Team. Phil took a photo of the Maule and copied the aircraft so it looked like four Maule's flying in formation. If you looked closely, you could see the registration numbers on all the aircraft were the same, but we made sure to explain the photo to anyone who asked what MDWG was doing flying close formation.”
In 2007, Szczepanski accepted the position of Public Affairs Officer for the Maryland Wing, filling an opening left by his friend, Capt. Steven Solomon. Szczepanski always had a heart for communications, but had a stronger sense of duty when the current Wing commander, Col. Jerry Weiss, asked him to transfer to the newly vacated position. He was excited about the prospect of developing a strong recruitment and retention program in the Maryland Wing. “He was an excellent PAO for the squadron. He moved to Wing when asked and held the Communications Director and PAO positions and served in an outstanding manner. He had a never say no attitude. He was a colleague and friend. I will miss his smile and sense of humor,” said Weiss.
Capt Philip Szczepanski is survived by his wife, Lorraine, and their four grown children. His memorial service will be held on January 26 in Baltimore, Md.
By Capt. Brenda Reed
MDWG Public Affairs staff