John Robert Bednarski, Sr.
John “Bee” Robert Bednarski, Sr., 84, of Washington, passed away peacefully Monday, January 2, 2023.
He was a son of the late John Adam and Stella Bednarski.
John was the beloved husband of Carol Bleen Bednarski; loving father of John Jr. (Lisa), Mick (Beth), and Melissa (Jimmy) Lummis; cherished grandfather to Domenic, Brenden and Gianna. Also blessed with many friends and relatives.
“Bee” was a proud veteran of the United States Army. He enlisted in August of 1960 and attended basic training at Fort Knox, Ky. He was a member of the 9th Artillery, 79th Division and was later assigned to the 19th Engineers at Fort Meade, Md. “Bee” was briefly a member of the 630th Transportation Company before transferring to the 429th Engineers in 1963. He was honorably discharged in 1966, but rejoined the 429th in 1973. “Bee” remained in this unit until his transfer in 1984 to the 2073rd United States Army School, where he served as a heavy equipment instructor. He was honorably discharged in 1988 with the rank of Master Sergeant.
He had a passion for baseball. His illustrious coaching career spanned over 30 years. It included youth (Mustang, Bronco, Pony, Colt, Legion, and Palomino league), high school, and college baseball.
“Bee’s” resume highlighted several city league championships, multiple regional (all star) championships, two zone tournament (all star) semi-final appearances, and a runner-up finish in the 1982 Pony League World Series.
He coached at Trinity High School and served primarily as the Junior Varsity head coach for six years. His teams never lost more than two games in a season. His 1990 team was a perfect 19-0.
“Bee” spent two seasons on the Canon-McMillan High School baseball staff. He served as the third base coach and the infield coach.
Bednarski spent two seasons as an assistant with the Myrtle Beach High School baseball team and coached in the college ranks for one year with Waynesburg University.
“Bee” started at shortstop and was a three-year letterwinner at Washington High School, leading the team to three section titles, including a semi-final appearance in the WPIAL playoffs during his sophomore season. He also lettered on the Wash High football and basketball teams.
After his four years with Wash High, “Bee” chose Rider University over Pitt and Iowa to play college baseball. “Bee” was a four-year letterwinner, starting at shortstop, and led the Broncs to their best season in school history (winning percentage). He had a career batting average of .305 and received all-star honors. In addition, he was a three-year letter winner on the Broncs Basketball team.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rider in 1960.
Upon graduation, “Bee” signed with the Minnesota Twins. He played three seasons in the minor leagues, including stints in Wytheville, Va., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. He played with MLB hall-of-famer Tony Olivia and was coached by legendary Yankee Manager Billy Martin.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital (https://www.stjude.org).
A gathering of family and friends is set to take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, January 19, in Pittsburgh Cremation and Funeral Care, 3287 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15317, 724-260-5546, where a memorial service will take place at 9 a.m. Friday, January 20. Burial will follow at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, 1158 Morgan Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017.