Paul Budniak, 80, teacher-coach at Cherokee, other schools

Paul P. Budniak, 80, of Magnolia, who retired in 1999 as a teacher and coach at Cherokee High School in Marlton, died of complications from heart problems Saturday, June 13, at Virtua Marlton Hospital.

Mr. Budniak joined the Cherokee faculty when the school opened in 1975, teaching history and English, and becoming the school's first coach of its basketball and golf teams, his wife, Margery, said.

He retired from basketball coaching in 1980, she said, but continued to coach the golfers until his 1999 retirement from teaching.

Born in Camden, Mr. Budniak was raised by his two grandmothers after his parents, Paul and Helen, died in a car accident when he was a year and a half old, his wife said.

He graduated from St. Joseph's High School in Camden in 1953 and earned a bachelor's degree in history at Villanova University in 1957.

He played varsity basketball in high school, his wife said, but at Villanova he played only on the 150-pound football team.

Mr. Budniak taught history at Gloucester Catholic High School in the late 1950s and at St. Joseph's in the 1960s, before teaching elementary school classes briefly in Audubon Park.

He began his coaching career at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, where he guided the basketball teams for 13 years, from the 1960s into the 1970s, while teaching social studies.

"He was very proud that Camden Catholic beat Camden High twice when they were undefeated, had been undefeated before playing Catholic," said Carole Catani, who knew Mr. Budniak for 51 years.

Catani, who went on to a career in commercial finance, was a physical education teacher at Camden Catholic from 1963 to 1965, when she met Mr. Budniak.

First as the junior varsity basketball coach and then as head coach, she said, "he was a gentle man and a gentleman."

As godmother to the Budniaks' only child, Catani said, she was aware that because he had grown up an orphan, "family meant a lot to him," and so he kept in contact for years with the players whom he had coached.

Mr. Budniak was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Polish American Citizens Club of Camden County.

Besides his wife, Mr. Budniak is survived by a daughter, Annmarie, and two grandchildren.

Viewings were set from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, and 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., Thursday, both at the Gardner Funeral Home, 126 S. Black Horse Pike, Runnemede, before an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus Church, 13 E. Evesham Rd., Runnemede, with interment in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Chews Landing.

Donations may be sent to the Sean Byrne Athletic Foundation, Gloucester County Special Services Education Foundation, 1360 Tanyard Rd., Sewell, N.J. 08080.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.gardnerfuneralhome.com.