Henry "Hank" J. Parakowski

Henry "Hank" Joseph Parakowski, 73 years old, passed away on April 2, 2026 in Granger, IN.

Henry was born on June 26, 1952, in South Bend, IN, to the late Bronislaw and Jadwiga (Wolinski) Parakowski. On March 30, 1985, Henry married the love of his life, Leslie Jean (Granger) Parakowski.

Henry is preceded in death by his brother, John (Becky) Parakowski, and his brother-in-law, George (Ursula) Zeltner.

Henry is survived by his wife, Leslie Jean Parakowski, and daughters, Tracy (Andy) Williams, Stacey (David) Floran, and his son, John Henry Parakowski. He is also survived by his granddaughters, Macey O'Connell, Kaitlyn Williams, Marin (Eli Salzar) Floran, and his grandson, Mitchell Floran. He is also survived by his siblings, Ursula (Gerorge) Zeltner, Barbara (Kit) Johnson, Christine (Randy) Borror and Leon (Sheila Flitters) Parakowski.  Henry is also survived by his brother- in-law, David (Cindy) Granger and his many nieces and nephews.

Henry attended St. Adalbert Catholic School and Church and he later attended Washington High School, class of 1971. He retired from AM General. Henry spent many years volunteering for Red Cross, fulfilling his desire to help others in need and was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous for many years. He loved his family, fishing, travel, and mushroom hunting, He loved to spend time with his son on lake Michigan. He was also a tremendous storyteller and loved telling spooky stories to his grandchildren.

Henry was a gentle, humble soul and was loved and respected by many. He will be missed by his family and numerous friends.

Visitation for Henry will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in St. Joseph Funeral Home, 824 S. Mayflower Rd. South Bend, IN. A Funeral Service will take place at 11:00 am Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Funeral Home, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.