Robert "Bob" Henry Czerniak

Robert "Bob" Henry Czerniak

Age 78 of Woodbury, passed away surrounded by family on Jan. 15, 2026, after struggling with Alzheimer’s for over 10 years.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois in June 1947 to Henry and Genevieve (Znameriowski) Czerniak.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Loyola in Chicago in 1969, he joined the Air Force where he earned the rank of Staff Sargeant. While stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, he went to evening school to attain an MBA from the University of Hawaii. He also met his future wife, Nancy, who lived next door to him in Waikiki. After being honorably discharged, they married in 1973 in Nancy’s hometown, Hutchinson, Kansas, and moved to the Chicago area where he worked at Kemper Insurance. He also received another master’s degree (MSIR) from Loyola in Chicago in 1974 and an Associate’s Degree in Data Processing from the College of DuPage in 1978. In 1976, they welcomed their first child, Paul.

In 1979, Bob accepted a position at Hartford Insurance Company, so they moved to Vernon, Connecticut. While there, he was promoted to Assistant Secretary, Director of Systems Support, and had the distinction of being the youngest officer. They lived there for six years, where both daughters, Tricia and Carrie, were born. Wanting to get back to the Midwest, Bob joined St. Paul Insurance Companies and moved to Woodbury, Minnesota in 1985. In 1998, Bob accepted a position with Great Northwest in Boise, Idaho. He made many trips to Idaho and later Hawaii when they purchased Hawaiian Insurance and Guaranty. Bob strongly believed in continual education and earned over twenty insurance and professional designations, but he was the proudest of the CPA designation.

Fun facts about Bob: he played the accordion in a polka band while in high school and college, watched and taped thousands of soccer games and other activities of his three kids, volunteered at church and as a Boy Scout Leader, and loved participating in the fourteen-day trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico with his son. Other highlights of his life were spending time with his fifteen grandchildren playing tag with foam blocks, floor hockey with brooms as sticks, and spending countless hours watching hockey and soccer games, dance competitions, and band concerts.

He is preceded in death by parents, Henry & Genevieve Czerniak; brother, Richard Czerniak; aunt, Jeanette Znamierowski. Survived by wife of 52 years, Nancy (Young) Czerniak; children, Paul (Kathleen) Czerniak, Patricia (Michael) Ryan & Carolyn (Luke) Brubaker, and fifteen grandchildren (Paul and Katie: Tyler, Katelyn, and Emerson; Tricia and Mike: Logan, Sophia, Annabelle, Blake, Zander, Grayson and Declan; Carrie and Luke: Natalie, William, Jericho, AnaBella, and Xavier). Also survived by brothers, John and Tom Czerniak and sister, Diane Bochenek, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation to be held on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 4-7pm at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home (8700 Valley Creek Road, Woodbury, MN). A Mass of Christian Burial will be held the following day on the Jan. 22 at 11am with an hour visitation prior at Saint Ambrose Catholic Community (4125 Woodbury Drive, Woodbury, MN). Burial to follow at Guardian Angels Cemetery in Oakdale, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Jude Children’s Hospital would be appreciated.

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