Dr. Gerald "Jerry" Brozyna, 79, of Largo, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

Born on April 19, 1945, in Erfurt, Germany, Dr. Brozyna was the son of Polish and Austrian-Hungarian immigrants, the late Josef and Julia Brozyna. He enjoyed a distinguished career as a physician at CWY Bay Pines Veteran's Administration Medical Center, where he served for over 30 years. His passions included fishing, traveling, and cruising, and he was also an enthusiastic collector of antiques. He enjoyed shopping at flea markets and hunting for a good bargain.

Dr. Brozyna is preceded in death by his parents and his aunt, Josephine Ruocco. He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Lucia H. Brozyna; their children, Monique Brozyna, Gerald A. Brozyna, Jr., and Karl W. Brozyna; Caroline Brozyna (spouse of Gerald A. Brozyna Jr.) and his granddaughter's Madeline and Camilla Brozyna; his sister, Mary Kobylarz; and nieces and nephews, Dr. Fred Kobylarz, Diana Mazur, and Albert Kobylarz of New Jersey.

The Brozyna family's life was marked by struggles after spending several years in concentration and displaced persons camps in both Germany and Belgium. Gerald Brozyna was born in Germany, shortly before Victory in Europe Day, marking the official end of WWII in Europe in the Eastern front in 1945. Natives of Poland, the family arrived at Ellis Island in New York in 1947 from Europe. They financially earned their way to this country assisted by the Catholic Committee. The family briefly settled in Clifton, New Jersey with relatives. They remained in Clifton and Passaic New Jersey for several years.

Gerald Brozyna briefly attended Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee and graduated from the Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey with an undergraduate degree in Biology. He then went on to medical school at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Guadalajara and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree specializing in Internal Medicine. His physician residencies were practiced in several locations including New Jersey, New York at Mt. Sinai Hospital and the Bronx VA, and Canada. His professional medical career was practiced in Mexico, Canada, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

He then relocated to Gainesville, FL with his family where he began his medical career with the Veteran's Administration Medical Center. There he worked at both the Gainesville VA and Shands Teaching Hospital and served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. After Gainesville, he realized how much he loved living in Florida and he relocated again to Ft. Lauderdale, FL where he was part of a medical private practice group. Lastly, he relocated to Largo, FL where he permanently settled with his family until present. This is where he began his long-term career at the CWY Bay Pines Veterans Administration Medical Center practicing as an Internal Medicine physician. While at the VA he worked in several areas of the hospital including inpatient and outpatient clinics and the Emergency Room. He served specialized Veteran groups. He was the Domiciliary physician for the homeless population and was the appointed physician caring for the Prisoners of War Veterans. He often was honored with awards from several POW members throughout the years. He was also part of the VA HazMat team and participated in hurricane relief work in Port Charlotte and Sarasota, FL and the St. Thomas US Virgin Islands. In addition, he was appointed as Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. He retired from being a physician from the CWY Bay Pines VA Medical Center 15 years ago and became a professional cruiser to several warm and tropical locations.

Dr. Brozyna was a great and honorable husband, father, grandfather, and favorite uncle who loved his family unconditionally. In the United States, he began from humble beginnings and was a pioneer of his time exploring the world on his own to find a better life and education. This led him to be curious about travelling the world which also evolved into many off the beaten path adventurous road trips. It is a good thing he was also a mechanic in his younger days! Although he was a very educated man, he also valued many of life's lessons. Along the way, he managed to communicate in four different languages which also made him relatable to others and often came in handy with his medical career. He had a bigger than life personality and a jovial sense of humor. He was a colorful unfiltered storyteller which is what people often expressed that they most loved about him. He has been called the "most interesting man" on more than one occasion. He raised his children to have good moral character and specifically emphasized to put God first and practice our Catholic faith. His goal was not to be wealthy or choose his career, rather he put family first.

To our amazing husband and father, our hero, we all want to say thank you for being there for us every step of the way and for your unwavering love. You may have been known to be a little gruff at times but in reality, you were a big and soft teddy bear with a heart of gold. Each time we see your teddy bear collection we will endearingly think of you.

We always said he had nine lives and was a survivor overcoming many of life's adversities. He persevered and fought until his last days. This is a testament of his "joie de vivre".
This is to have succeeded and a poem that is a reminder of who he was beautifully written by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

"To laugh often and much: To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Visitation will be on Thursday, August 8th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at DeGusipe Funeral Home and Crematory-R. Lee Williams Chapel, 3530 49th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33710.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 9th, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 9111 90th Ave., Largo, Florida, with a reception to follow.

Burial in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 5233 118th Ave N., Clearwater, FL 33760 will take place after the reception at 1:30 PM.