Mr. Szpanka was born in Glassport, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 11, 1934. He was the son of Walter John Szpanka and Helen Dumala Szpanka, both immigrants who built a life rooted in faith, family and Polish tradition. He grew up in a large family and remained connected to his heritage throughout his life. Mr. Szpanka earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Duquesne University in 1959. He became a Certified Public Accountant on Oct. 21, 1963, beginning a distinguished career in public service. He served with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and later as deputy director of the Office of Audits for the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C

In 1979, he was named a charter member of the Senior Executive Service, a distinction recognizing the highest level of federal leadership. He retired from federal service March 30, 1989, and enjoyed a long retirement.

 He proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 and continued his service in the Army Reserve. John was a lifelong Catholic and a member of St. Leo’s Catholic community, based in Fairfax, Va. He was known for his steady habits, quick wit and dry sense of humor. He enjoyed handball as part of his fitness routine during his career and played for many years in the Northern Virginia Senior Softball (NVSS) league in retirement.

 Crossword puzzles were part of his daily routine, and he approached them with quiet determination. At one Thanksgiving, his young granddaughter asked what rhymed with “fork,” and as if he were on a game show, he called out, “twerk.” It took several minutes before anyone could compose themselves enough to continue eating. Years of daily crossword puzzles clearly paid off. 

A man of routine and simplicity, he found comfort in the familiar—saltines, sardines, Cheerios, chocolate-covered cherries and soup. He dressed casually, spoke with a Pittsburgh accent, and carried with him the traditions of his Polish upbringing. 

As a young man, he spent time at the Polish National Alliance Lodge 750 in Glassport, where his heritage was celebrated through community and tradition. Years later, when his daughter returned to visit, she found old black-and-white photographs still hanging on the walls of the club—faces and names he remembered, a lasting connection to his early life and the community that shaped him. 

He will be remembered as kind, generous, funny, sarcastic and well-read, with a thoughtful perspective on life. He often closed birthday cards with a simple message: “Carpe diem and go smell the roses.”

He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Kate Grayson, Stanley “Ace” Szpanka, Edward Szpanka, Theresa Bohinski, Walter Szpanka and Raymond Szpanka; and other siblings who died in infancy. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary Szpanka of Reston, Virginia; his son, John R. Szpanka of Fairfax, Virginia; his daughters, Debbie A. Szpanka of Bluffton, South Carolina, and Cynthia S. Baumgartner (Steven) of Chicago, Illinois; his granddaughters, Reese and Morgan Baumgartner; and numerous nieces and nephews in the greater Pittsburgh area. Many of his nieces fondly recall his visits and proudly describe him as the “cool” uncle who left his hometown for Washington, D.C. 

John was the youngest of his siblings and the last to pass.

A funeral Mass and burial at Quantico National Cemetery are pending