Obituary for John J. Sawicki
John J. Sawicki, 69, of 27
Superior St., Gile, died Saturday., Jan. 8, 2011, in his home, surrounded by his
loving family, following a courageous four-month battle with
mesothelioma. He was born Oct. 29, 1941, in Mt. Carmel,
Penn., son of the late John and Angela (Laskoski) Sawicki, and graduated from
Mt. Carmel High School in 1960. He then worked in a foundry in Philadelphia
for a short time. John began his career in the U.S. Coast Guard
in Nov. of 1960, serving his country for 21 years on cutters on the Great Lakes,
in Hawaii, on the East Coast, and at the South Pole aboard the cutter Glacier,
retiring as Master Chief Machinery Technician in Sept. of 1981 and moving to
Montreal and then to Gile. In his retirement, John received an associate
of arts degree in auto mechanics from Gogebic Community College in 1983
and worked alongside Al Skelton, department instructor, as an aide for three
years. He then was employed as a mechanic at Bertagnoli Distributing in Hurley
for a short time and at Bunny Bread for ten years, worked as a rack man at
Bessemer Auto for several years, and was employed as a salesman for NAPA for
eight years. John also serviced golf carts at the Gogebic Country Club and at
Eagle Bluff. At the time of his death, he was a bus driver for Schilleman's Bus
Service in the Hurley School District. John was a member of St. Mary of the Seven
Dolors Catholic Church in Hurley and Hurley American Legion Post 58. He loved to
teach kids the fundamentals of baseball and coached competitive baseball from
Little League to Babe Ruth League to high school boys baseball for 20 plus years
in Hawaii, New Jersey, Minnesota, Hurley, and Bessemer, Mich. He played hardball
on Coast Guard teams in Hawaii and oldtimer's softball in the Coast Guard and on
the Gogebic Range. He loved to golf and was a member of Eagle Bluff Club. He
also worked on the chain gang for Hurley football from 1983 to the
present. John was a wonderful husband, father,
grandfather and friend to all, and was always quick with a joke. He will be
dearly missed. On July 7, 1962, he married the former Bonnie
L. Wicklund of Gile in Duluth, Minn. She survives. Also surviving are two sons, Troy (Sandy),
Appleton, and Todd (Karen Hansen), Fond du Lac; a daughter, Tammy (Andy) Rowe,
Saxon; six grandchildren, Nicholas Effinger, Ashley Sawicki, Courtney Sawicki,
Toddie Sawicki, and Jacob and Cameron Rowe; brothers-and-sisters-in-law, Jim and
Kate Wicklund, Montreal, Dale Wicklund, Gile, and Geri Wicklund, Arkdale; and
numerous nieces and nephews and many close friends. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death
by two sisters, Dolly Bojako and Sylvia Cimino. Out of respect for John's wishes, cremation
has taken place. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until
noon on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley, followed by
a Memorial Mass celebrated at noon, with the Rev. Frank Kordek, O.F.M.,
celebrant. Full military rites will be accorded by the
U.S. Coast Guard Station Bayfield Honor Detail and the combined Hurley American
Legion Post 58 and Iron Co. V.F.W. Post 1580 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow at the Iron Nugget in
downtown Hurley. To view John's obituary online, sign the
guestbook and express condolences, visit
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick
Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.
Superior St., Gile, died Saturday., Jan. 8, 2011, in his home, surrounded by his
loving family, following a courageous four-month battle with
mesothelioma. He was born Oct. 29, 1941, in Mt. Carmel,
Penn., son of the late John and Angela (Laskoski) Sawicki, and graduated from
Mt. Carmel High School in 1960. He then worked in a foundry in Philadelphia
for a short time. John began his career in the U.S. Coast Guard
in Nov. of 1960, serving his country for 21 years on cutters on the Great Lakes,
in Hawaii, on the East Coast, and at the South Pole aboard the cutter Glacier,
retiring as Master Chief Machinery Technician in Sept. of 1981 and moving to
Montreal and then to Gile. In his retirement, John received an associate
of arts degree in auto mechanics from Gogebic Community College in 1983
and worked alongside Al Skelton, department instructor, as an aide for three
years. He then was employed as a mechanic at Bertagnoli Distributing in Hurley
for a short time and at Bunny Bread for ten years, worked as a rack man at
Bessemer Auto for several years, and was employed as a salesman for NAPA for
eight years. John also serviced golf carts at the Gogebic Country Club and at
Eagle Bluff. At the time of his death, he was a bus driver for Schilleman's Bus
Service in the Hurley School District. John was a member of St. Mary of the Seven
Dolors Catholic Church in Hurley and Hurley American Legion Post 58. He loved to
teach kids the fundamentals of baseball and coached competitive baseball from
Little League to Babe Ruth League to high school boys baseball for 20 plus years
in Hawaii, New Jersey, Minnesota, Hurley, and Bessemer, Mich. He played hardball
on Coast Guard teams in Hawaii and oldtimer's softball in the Coast Guard and on
the Gogebic Range. He loved to golf and was a member of Eagle Bluff Club. He
also worked on the chain gang for Hurley football from 1983 to the
present. John was a wonderful husband, father,
grandfather and friend to all, and was always quick with a joke. He will be
dearly missed. On July 7, 1962, he married the former Bonnie
L. Wicklund of Gile in Duluth, Minn. She survives. Also surviving are two sons, Troy (Sandy),
Appleton, and Todd (Karen Hansen), Fond du Lac; a daughter, Tammy (Andy) Rowe,
Saxon; six grandchildren, Nicholas Effinger, Ashley Sawicki, Courtney Sawicki,
Toddie Sawicki, and Jacob and Cameron Rowe; brothers-and-sisters-in-law, Jim and
Kate Wicklund, Montreal, Dale Wicklund, Gile, and Geri Wicklund, Arkdale; and
numerous nieces and nephews and many close friends. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death
by two sisters, Dolly Bojako and Sylvia Cimino. Out of respect for John's wishes, cremation
has taken place. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until
noon on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley, followed by
a Memorial Mass celebrated at noon, with the Rev. Frank Kordek, O.F.M.,
celebrant. Full military rites will be accorded by the
U.S. Coast Guard Station Bayfield Honor Detail and the combined Hurley American
Legion Post 58 and Iron Co. V.F.W. Post 1580 Honor Guard. Luncheon will follow at the Iron Nugget in
downtown Hurley. To view John's obituary online, sign the
guestbook and express condolences, visit
mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick
Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.