Richard John Wieczorek
Richard John Wieczorek, 91, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2024.
Richard was born in Buffalo, NY, on Sept. 26, 1932, to Jan and Martha Wieczorek.
In 1952 Richard joined the Air Force and was stationed in London, England, where he met the love of his life and future spouse, Eve Pelfrey, who was also serving in the Air Force.
After leaving the Air Force, Richard and Eve were married in 1956 in Buffalo, NY. They moved to Chattanooga in 1958 where Richard began his studies at the University of Chattanooga. Upon graduating in 1964, he and Eve moved to Lafayette, Ga., to work in the field of education and raise their family. He was a beloved and respected educator in Walker and Catoosa County, Ga., school systems until his retirement in 1990.
Over his long life Richard was an avid sports enthusiast and golfer. He and Eve loved to travel and visited many places around the world together. The son of first-generation Polish immigrants, Richard spoke fluent Polish and served as the official interpreter for the many trips to Poland that he took with family and friends.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Jan and Martha Wieczorek, five brothers, and one sister.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 67 years, Eve Wieczorek; sister, Christine Wieczorek; son, John (Sylvia) Wieczorek; daughter, Madeline (Brian) Green; grandchildren, Jon Mills, Clare (Tommy) Edens, Emily (Steve) Dykstra, Rebecca Green, Sarah Green, and Emma DuBose; great grandchildren, Olivia, Maddux, Tyler, Samantha, Chloe, Grant, and Claire; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
The family wishes to thank the staff at StoryPoint Chattanooga, Amedisys Hospice and Cornerstone Caregiving for their extraordinary care of Richard.
Visitation will be at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, 5401 Highway 153, on Monday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. Burial will follow at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, 1200 Bailey Ave. at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate).
Arrangements are under the care of the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.