Wayne Douglas Kryszak

Wayne Kryszak, librarian and author, died on April 22, 2017 at the age of 80 after a sudden decline.  The cause of death was small cell cancer. His books The Small Business Index (1978) and The Small Business Index: Volume 2 (1985) were a result of Mr. Kryszak’s work as Chief of the Business Division in the District of Columbia Public Library system, where he worked from 1961 until his retirement in 1991.  These highly regarded reference books were the first to help small business owners locate relevant materials and information on specific business enterprises.  He is listed in several Who’s Who directories in the late 1970s, including Marquis Who’s Who, 15th, 16th and 17th Editions and Who’s Who in Library and Information Services (1982) and A Biographical Directory of Librarians in the United States and Canada, Fifth Edition (1970). Born in Canton, Ohio in 1936, Wayne was graduated from John Adams High School (Cleveland, Ohio) in 1954.  He went on to achieve a BA in the College of Business Administration at Kent State University in 1958 and later a Masters in Library Science in 1965, also at Kent State. Wayne was in the Army Reserves from 1959 until 1965 and did his basic training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. In 1958 he married the late Sarah Jane Bauer and together they moved to the Washington DC area where they had two sons, Peter and Douglas.  They lived for many years in Cottage City, MD.  In 1978 they built their home in the Bowie area.  Sarah Jane died unexpectedly in 1986. In 1988 he married Bonnie C. Minton, also a librarian with the District Of Columbia Library system.  Together they enjoyed travelling to many countries and were avid square dancers, attending conventions and festivals across the country.  They were past members of the area square dance clubs, the Circulators and the Diamond Wheelers. Wayne was a life time member of Cottage City Volunteer Fire Department from 1971 until 2013 and served as secretary for many years.  He was also police commissioner for Cottage City in 1967 and was a member of the Municipal Police Assn., Prince George’s County. From 1991 until 2015 he was an usher at the Warner Theater.  He volunteered at the Bowie Branch of the Prince George’s Library from 1991 until 2014. Wayne was a person who did what he set out to do and he approached life with a light heart.  He loved amusement parks and decided that after he retired he wanted to drive the train at Six-Flags and he did that for the first summer of his retirement.  On the day of his retirement in 1991 he put on his roller blades and skated around the lobby of the library in celebration.  He loved cross-country skiing. He is pre-deceased by his parents, Peter John Kryszak and Grace Vogt Kryszak, his sister, Gail LaRiche and his first wife, Sarah Jane Bauer.  Survivors include his wife of 29 years, Bonnie Minton Kryszak; his son, Peter John Kryszak and his wife, Susan; his son Douglas Michael Kryszak; his niece, Natasha dos Santos Bauer and her husband, Mauricio; many other nieces & nephews; his grandson Ian Servin and his beloved granddaughter Kristina Anna Kryszak.  He leaves many close friends. Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, P.O. Box 519, 600 Discovery Lane, Grasonville, MD 21638, BayRestoration.org. A Remembrance service will be held at a later date.