William Leo Sledzieski

William Leo Sledzieski passed away peacefully at home in Oxford, Conn., on July 29, 2012 at the age of 72 after a long battle with cancer.

He was predeceased by his parents, Leo and Mary Sledzieski of Mattituck, N.Y. Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years, Mary (Pelc) Sledzieski, and his two children and their spouses, Kathy (Sledzieski) Iannazzo and her husband, Steve, of Norwalk, Conn., and Ron Sledzieski and his wife, Nana, of Southbury, Conn. Bill is also survived by his brother, Robert Sledzieski, and his wife, Patricia, of Riverhead, N.Y. He was blessed with five grandchildren, Nicholas and Melissa Iannazzo and Samuel, Sydney and Summer Sledzieski.

Bill was born in Greenport, N.Y., on June 9, 1940, where as a child he helped out on the family farm. He attended Mattituck High School and the University of Georgia, where he graduated with a degree in food chemistry. He married Mary Pelc in 1963. Bill eventually began working for Standard Brands in Stamford, Conn., where he was issued several patents. His foundational co-invention of low-fat, butter-flavored spread became Fleischmann’s margarine and has been referenced by 17 subsequent patents, two as recent as 2008. Bill continued his career with Nabisco and eventually retired from the Joseph E. Seagram company.

Bill enjoyed golfing, bowling, playing cards with his friends and visiting The Villages in Florida. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends for his optimism, faith, and the loving care of his family.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 733 Oxford Road, in Oxford, Conn., at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends may call Thursday, Aug. 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Munson-Lovetere Funeral home, 235 Main Street North, Southbury, Conn. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The Connecticut Hospice (hospice.com). Online condolences may be made through munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.

This is a paid notice.