Obituary for Joseph "Joe" Wieczorek
Joseph “Joe” Charles Wieczorek, 64, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Joe was born in 1959 to Joanne (Haramincich) and Edmund “Hoot” Wieczorek. He graduated from LaSalle-Peru High School in 1977. He attended Illinois Valley Community College, studying computer science, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Management from Eastern Illinois University in 1982. Upon graduating, Joe moved to Dallas to start his career, ultimately working as an IT Executive Director at Pactiv (later becoming Reynolds) for over twenty years and Signode for seven years. He took great pride in his work, solving intricate problems, and excelled at getting teams to work harmoniously. He was set to retire in September at age 65.
Joe lived in Brandon, Florida, and spent time in Chicago, where his children reside. Joe loved the beach and ocean, which drew him to the Tampa/St. Pete area in 2021. Joe kept busy by staying active: biking, running, rollerblading the lakefront, walking, and going to the gym. Joe loved fitness and was an incredible coach and motivator to those around him. Joe was a Chicago sports fan who attended many Cubs games at Wrigley Field with friends and family. He was a proud father of his three children and their sporting careers, both Hayden and Abby as hockey goalies and Bianca as a coxswain on the rowing team. Joe was generous and kind, touching the lives of many, and had lots of laughs.
He especially loved being on the water, from sailing and boating on Lake Michigan to fishing with his parents in Minnesota. Joe loved to explore new restaurants and travel. Some of his favorite places were Palm Desert and Cancun, Mexico. Joe found joy in listening to music and gathering with friends and family over a nice meal, a cocktail, or a cigar.
Joseph is survived by his sister Lori (Joseph) Siman. His daughter, Bianca Wieczorek (mother Sherrie Nord Wieczorek), and daughter Abby Wieczorek and son Hayden Wieczorek (both mother Elizabeth Hall Wieczorek).
A private memorial will be held in August with family. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, September 29th. This is one day before what would have been Joe’s 65th birthday. The celebration will be a beach walk called Speak up for Joe to raise awareness for mental health, starting at 10 am at Elder Lane Beach in Winnetka, IL, where he and Liz resided for several years, raising Hayden and Abby. The walk will end at Tower Beach, where a gathering will be hosted by his children, Erika’s Lighthouse, and Inspire Counseling. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Erika’s Lighthouse in his honor: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/lightabeacon/account/1814631/
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