News

Losing His Job Provided Joseph Slezak Chance to Pursue Another “Love”

(Released 7/11/10)

GREENSBORO - Joseph Slezak Jr., who had moved from his native Philadelphia

to Greensboro in order to keep his job, never blinked when he finally lost his job a year and a half after moving here. He was the victim of the manufacturing company downsizing, he said.

"I knew it would be a matter of time; I wasn't surprised," he said. Slezak had worked for Avery Dennison Corp. for 34 years. He never left the job mad and had no intention of resettling in Philadelphia. "My wife and I love Greensboro --- the weather, the people, living downtown and being close to the (Grasshoppers) baseball team," he said.

Slezak, who loves to restore cars, had a "plan B" even before he lost his job. He wanted to enroll at Guilford Technical Community College and learn more about auto body repair. Nearing age 57, Slezak is completing his two-year degree and has an impressive 4.0 grade point average.

And the program on the Jamestown campus isn't all about repairing cars. There are English, math and other academic courses. He's acing all of them. That's pretty neat for a guy who finished high school in 1971.

Slezak, who was named the "outstanding diploma graduate" at GTCC's recent graduation, will finish classes in July. "My options for a job are endless," he said. "With what I've learned and with my past experience in electronics, I can get a job as an estimator (for auto repairs), as a painter of vehicles or start my own car restoration business. There 's no end to the different jobs available to me with my degree," he said.

He couldn't believe that his name was called at graduation as winner of the award. "Amy (his 27-year-old daughter) just cried when my name was called. I was overwhelmed. I cried too," Slezak said.

"I never expected to do this well (in college)," he said.

His wife Sharon, a nurse at High Point Regional Hospital, shares his love for Greensboro. Besides Amy, the Slezaks have two other grown children - Andrew in Tampa and Jonathan in New York.

Slezak has found new friends in the Triad Chevy Club and at his church in Winston- Salem. He was a volunteer worker in his church for more than 35 years (30 years as a minister) in Philadelphia. "I was thankful for the opportunity to serve," he said

"All my life I've had an interest in cars," Slezak said. He helped Andrew restore a 1985 Honda Prelude, and assisted Jonathan in redoing a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. He and his family likes going to car shows, and it was at a show in Wildwood, NJ, that Slezak got bitten by the restoration bug again. "I was inspired to get me a car to restore. My wife and I found one sitting in a field, and bought it for $500," he said.

That was a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro RS. He finished the restoration of the car in 1999.And it is an eye-grabber now, and the pride of the Slezak household. The family loves taking it to car shows, or simply driving around and getting a kick out of watching the gawkers.

His first car at age 16 was a 1960 Thunderbird, and he loved that car. But he's never been prouder of any vehicle than the Camaro.

Enrolling in an automotive course at a technical school was a "natural" for Slezak. "I should have taken auto mechanics in high school," he said. He's also thrilled that he is the first member of his family to earn a college degree.

"It would never have happened if I hadn't moved down here," he said.

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