EXCLUSIVE: Heart’s Desire program
Nanticoke honors former cop
Guardian angel turns request into a tribute

By MARK E. JONES mjones@leader.net

KINGSTON – It started as a simple request.

Al “Red” Grabowski, 74, a resident of ManorCare Health Services on Second Avenue, told a staffer he longed for an authentic spaghetti-and-meatball dinner.

The idea mushroomed, so to speak, resulting in an all-out tribute to Grabowski on Tuesday evening that included a ride in a police cruiser, special guests, a surprise gift and, yes, plenty of pasta.

Credit for organizing the morale-raising event goes to Mark Szot, a ManorCare employee who embraced a companywide program called “Heart’s Desire,” aimed at fulfilling residents’ wishes and thereby boosting spirits. He arranged for Grabowski, a former Nanticoke police officer, to “ride in a cruiser one last time,” he said.

Szot, 41, knew the outing would be a treat for the proud ex-sergeant, partly because Grabowski frequently talks about his days on the force. In part, Szot also had “insider information.”

Turns out, when Szot was a teenager living in Nanticoke, he had a run-in with the law and ended up on the constricting side of Grabowski’s handcuffs. “After all was said and done, I was released,” said Szot, sounding sheepish as he related the incident to a reporter last week. “My mom never knew about it, so you have to be careful how you word that.”

Suffice to say, both men let the incident fade.

Then, years later, their paths crossed again. “I walked in here for a job and, God, there he was sitting in the lobby,” recalled Szot, a human resources director. “I said, ‘Red?’

“He said, ‘No one’s called me that in years. I lost my hair.’”

Grabowski handed in his police badge and handcuffs 20 years ago, but never fully surrendered his desire to be a cop. Instead, his health slid and the former officer – once widely known among Nanticoke residents for the fluid way he directed traffic – was forced to leave the job in 1985. Health issues dictated that he move into ManorCare a few years ago.

As fate would have it, this particular home pairs its new residents with so-called “guardian angels,” or staff members charged with befriending and finding out each person’s “heart’s desire.” Szot became Grabowski’s guardian angel, and the two often reminisced about ol’ Nanticoke while putting together puzzles.

Grabowski grew up in an age when boys wore knickers and played sandlot football. One of his first jobs was in a cigar mill.

He served the city beginning in the 1960s, when its downtown business district was bustling, particularly during the holidays, he said. He patrolled both by foot (peering in the windows of Main Street shops) and by car (cruising past gas stations). “It was pleasant,” he said, “because people respected you.”

A fixture at parades, after-school programs and other crowd-drawing events, he stood in the roadway and flicked signals to keep traffic moving. He always wore a hat and kept his uniform impeccably clean. He smiled as much as possible.

“Always keep a smile on your face, even when it hurts,” he said recently.

City officials, many of whom recall Grabowski from his law enforcement days, were eager to participate in the Heart’s Desire event. “We wanted to express our gratitude for the years of service he gave the City of Nanticoke,” said police Capt. William Shultz.

Among those expected to attend Tuesday’s dinner were Nanticoke Mayor John Toole, Police Chief Jim Cheshinski, Shultz, several other officers and members of Grabowski’s family, including his grandchildren.

Pasquale’s Restaurant in Hanover Township was providing Grabowski’s meal for free. He also was to receive a display case filled with mementos: his former police badge, sergeant’s stripes and handcuffs.

The case will likely be displayed in Grabowski’s room near a photo of Szot, the “guardian angel” who made something special out of a simple request.

Nanticoke City || Nanticoke Police Department