Adam R. Pogirnicki

Adam Richard Pogirnicki, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of his family on Sunday, April 16th, 2023. Adam was a resident of Old Bridge, NJ for over 50 years, and moved to Williamstown 2 years ago to be closer to his family. He was a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and an honorable man who truly cared for those around him. 

Adam, “Ads" to his dear friends and colleagues, was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY before moving to NJ with his family for high school, eventually settling in the Madison Park development in Old, Bridge, NJ. While there, he greatly enjoyed fishing with his father. He also loved working on cars and collecting baseball cards. After high school, Adam became an honorable member of the Air Force. He served as a Ground ECM Operations Specialist and then as a Base Operations Specialist in the Air Traffic Section and 19th Bomb Wing of the Strategc Air Command. There he was involved in the launch and recovery of B-52 bombers and was a coordinator for aircraft emergencies. He traveled around the world to many places, but his most cherished travels led him to Hof, Germany, where he would meet his wife Adelheid on her birthday. When introducing himself to her as "Adam" on their first encounter, she joked that her name was "Eve", and the two have been inseparable since. Their marriage of 60 years was filled with love and a true example of the meaning of the sacrament of marriage. They lived life for each other, and he always wanted to see her smile, often teasing her or dancing just to see that smile that he loved so much. In later years, he would be called her “Silver Fox” – the lightness of his hair emphasizing his brilliant blue eyes all the more.

Adam’s experience in the military prepared him well for a job that he loved with PSE&G, retiring after 38 years, first as a traveling operator and then as dispatcher with the Central Division in New Brunswick, NJ. He was a proud member of the I.B.E.W during his time with the company and truly valued his Union brotherhood. 

Adam was a cherished father and true family man. He enjoyed many years of camping in the Pocono Mountains, where we taught his daughter to swim and shoot an air rifle. He enjoyed traveling with his family – Germany, Montreal, Virginia Beach, and Williamsburg were among his favorite places to visit. He was an avid reader and a self-taught student of history, sharing many stories as we walked along the coastline of Laurence Harbor, watching the boats go by or observing the horse-shoe crabs that had come to shore. In his later years, he enjoyed making these same walks, but this time with his grandchildren, Emily and Adam. The ocean held a very special place in his heart, harkening the time spent as a youth, fishing and crabbing with his beloved father.

A cherished grandfather, all the aches and pains that crept up in his later years were washed away as soon as he got down on the floor to play with his grandchildren. He loved spending time with them, playing games, coloring, telling stories, and was always up for a good cuddle. He spent countless, happy hours playing Monopoly and cards – Pinochle becoming a family favorite of his later years. 

Adam is survived by his loving wife of sixty years, Adelheid Emma Pogirnicki, as well as his brother Thomas Pogirnicki, his daughter and son-in-law Elizabeth and Matthew Simon, grandchildren Emily Rose Simon and Adam Marcus Simon, as well as nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

Services for Adam will be held Friday, April 21st, 2023, at Our Lady of Peace Parish 32 Carroll Ave., Williamstown, NJ. Family and friends may gather for the viewing at 11 am. Funeral services will be held immediately after at 12 Noon. Interment & Military Honors will follow at The Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Williamstown at 240 N. Tuckahoe Road.

Adam was a man with a kind and loving heart, known often to help a friend in need without expectations. He had a great love of children and often contributed to St. Jude’s Research Hospital. In remembrance of this love, in lieue of flowers, we kindly ask that donations be made in Adam’s name to St. Jude’s Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org.

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