Andrew "Andy" Chomentowski

Andrew “Andy” Chomentowski, age 83, peacefully left this earth on Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at home with his family. He will be greeted by his loving wife Katherine “Kate”, of 63 years, (Hampton), who recently predeceased him. He is survived by three children Katherine “Kitten” (Harold Snyder), Helen (Matthew D’Imperio) and Andrea “Munggie” (Brian Powell); by three grandchildren Matthew John D’Imperio, Jr. (Allicia Harris), Catrenia D’Imperio, Andrew Snyder, and 1 great grandson Matthew Liam D’Imperio. His parents, Joseph Chomentowski and Helen (Wisniewski), and his older siblings, Regina Pinkes (Alex, deceased) and Thomas (Claire Manfredonia) predeceased him. He will be celebrated and remembered for his service to his country in the Army, 31 years as a Philadelphia Police Officer and 17 years as a Philadelphia School Police Officer. His family and Fishtown will miss him dearly.

Dad’s life was rooted in providing for his family, protecting the citizens of Philadelphia and helping in the community. He was a loving husband, father, brother, and uncle. He always made sure our needs were met. There were times he would work 3 jobs to keep the house together and put us through Catholic School. He did may of the repairs himself, especially electrical. As the number of TV’s and hair dryers grew, so did the number of receptacles and lights. He survived in a house with 4 women and one bathroom. He didn’t like cooking in the kitchen, but man could he BBQ and smoke meats. I am sure everyone will remember “Andy’s famous burnt chicken”. Even though he was at work a lot, he still made sure we went on vacations and he enjoyed deep see fishing. Although mom didn’t appreciate the scales all over her kitchen. He introduced us to camping, of course our favorite place was Promise Land S.P. as kids and then they had a seasonal site at Blue Rocks. He enjoyed driving to all his vacation spots and FOP conventions, cross country several times. We remember at Christmas he enjoyed working on his electric trains and insisting that we put the tinsel on the tree piece by individual piece, starting at the top. Although people thought he was serious, he did have a very good sense of humor. He enjoyed going to the movies and listening to music of all types for both. People often say he was tough and followed the law, but he was a very fare man in his dealings with everyone and everything.

Dad was born and raised in Fishtown and helped mom volunteering for all sorts of things that kept the neighborhood on the path to what it is today. Before he settled as husband and father, he was in the Army from 1962 to 1965. He then protected the citizens of Philadelphia as a police man for 31 years. He affectionately became known as “CPL. Who” to many of his fellow officers. He received awards for performing his duties well and honorable service. He was stationed in the 14th, Stakeout, the 93rd and the airport, just to name a few, He even made it into the newspapers - On March 31, 1970, he chased 2 men who robbed Crescent Auto Tag Service, one of his many other jobs, on Ogontz Avenue; he dodged a few bullets went on to continue his duty. After retiring from the City in 1996, he became a Police Officer for the School Dist. of Phila. He served for 17 years and kept a watchful eye on the children our city. He spent most of his time at South Philly HS and again received accommodations for his service. He was a member of the FOP Lodge 5 until is passing. He was on the By-Law Committee there for many years and helped other Lodges form their own by-laws across the state of Pennsylvania. We are proud to have called him dad and even prouder of his service to others.

Dad wasn’t one for suits, even though he wore a uniform, feel free to wear whatever will keep you warm and dry. In lieu of flowers and because of his dedication to service and community, you can do an act of kindness/service in your community or donate to a community organization; donate to the Alzheimer Association on his behalf at – alz.org.

To commemorate his incredible journey and to commemorate his service to the City, relatives and friends are invited to his Funeral at Burns Funeral Home, 1428 E. Columbia Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125 on Thursday, February 5, 2026 from 11-12:45 P.M. Funeral Service will begin at 1:00 P.M.