Edward "Augie" Dworak

As the sun rose on September 4, 2024, the sun set on a remarkable life. Augie Dworak, 76, died peacefully, surrounded by family and listening to his favorite eclectic playlist. Born June 21, 1948, to Edward and Angelina (Salamone), Augie spent most of his childhood in Trenton, NJ amid a large Sicilian-Polish family. He spent two formative years living in the southwest, where he acquired a lifelong love of westerns and met some of their iconic stars.

 A proud Marine, Augie attained Turkish language fluency at the Defense Language Institute and served in northern Cyprus. He then moved to NH, where he met his soulmate Deborah (Corcoran). Over the next 50 years, they raised four children on their farmstead in Cornish, NH, and delighted in spending time with their five grandsons. Avid travelers, Augie and Deb made a six-month journey to Alaska in the 70's, and did a slightly shorter but no less exciting road trip through CO, NM, and UT in 2014. They loved traveling to concerts throughout New England, and visiting their kids wherever they landed. 

 A talented artist, Augie was a master woodcarver specializing in bird decoys. He later excelled in numerous other art forms, and his masterpieces continue to grace the homes of countless friends, family, and customers. In 1996, Augie trained as a teacher and taught countless 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at Seminary Hill Elementary School and Lebanon Middle School over the next 18 years. Some of his favorite units to teach were NH watersheds, annual visits to Ferry Beach, and the American Revolution. He authored the historical fiction book for middle-grade readers, “The Battle Road”, under the pen name Edward August.

 Since retirement, Augie found great pleasure in volunteering at the WRJ VA Hospital, meeting with his weekly 'discussion group' at local watering holes, and watching the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox. Augie was a phenomenal cook and throughout his life many an evening ended with a random collection of friends enjoying one of his legendary and often impromptu feasts, usually capped off with a backyard fire. 

 A true nature lover and steward of natural forests, Augie loved going on walks in the woods, canoeing local lakes, and teaching anyone who would listen how to identify animal tracks and trees. A man of science, he found hands-on demonstrations were key to understanding, which accounts for his colony of Madagascan hissing cockroaches, and the many plastic bottles that met their demise thanks to a little tinfoil and muriatic acid. Potato guns represented another level of gleeful experimentation. An avid birder, Augie reveled in recent tech such as camera bird feeders and the Merlin app. The bird call clock in the kitchen didn't last as long as the birdsong recordings on his famous playlist. Augie never met a hamburger bun that met his exacting freshness expectations, and he delighted in telling unsuspecting dinner guests into thinking the homegrown chili pepper he offered them "wasn't really that hot." 

 Augie is survived by his wife of 50 years, Deb; his children Ryan (Penney), Sadie, Zachary (Kate), and Dylan (Heather). His grandsons Troy, Hunter, Jameson, Brooks, and Jones brought him endless joy, as did his dog Bex, who will miss backroad cruising with Augie and friends. His parents, parents-in-law, and brother predeceased him. Augie brought so much joy, knowledge, kindness, love, support, and even mystery to everyone he ever met. He was truly a remarkable man who inspired us all in one way or another. 

The Dworak family will celebrate Augie’s extraordinary life on Friday, September 13, at the former Cornish General Store on Rte. 120 from 3-7pm. All who knew him are invited to drop in, bring a favorite dish to share, and remember him with love, laughter, and joy. Donations in his honor can be made to Cornish Fire & Rescue (PO Box 274; Cornish Flat, NH 03746), The Hand to Heart Project , or the White River Junction VA Hospital.