Tom Waleryszak "Joshua's Daddy," age 64. Tom was born September 21, 1949 in Warren, Ohio to the late Stanley Waleryszak and Mary Day Waleryszak and passed away suddenly October 6, 2013 in Forks, Washington with his loving wife Judy at his side.
Tom was a Patriot who was proud to have honorably served his country in the US Army as a combat air traffic controller (ATC 125) during the Vietnam War (’69/’70). After returning from the war, he began a career with the FAA as an air traffic controller at the DuPage County, Illinois airport until the firing of the air traffic controllers by President Ronald Reagan during the PATCO strike in 1981. He was a member of PATCO until its decertification in 1981, a member of the NRA and an at large member of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars.
He is survived by his beloved wife Judy of Seattle, sister Janet (Gary) Piper of Nashville, Tennessee, brothers William Waleryszak of Warren, Ohio and Michael Waleryszak of Freemont, Ohio, three half brothers including Walter and Joseph Waleryszak of Rhode Island. He was Uncle Tom to 13 actual nieces and nephews (Brian, Nathan, Chad, Christopher, Bobby, Richard, Joshua, Kelsey and Kaitlyn) and at least a dozen “adopted” nieces and nephews (whom he loved very, very much), and many friends, including his special friends, Andrea and Stella Rose. Tom was preceded in death by his parents Stanley and Mary Waleryszak and his only son Joshua Waleryszak.
Friends and family are invited to Memorial Services Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 11 a.m. at the Chapel of Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 6701 30th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98126. A reception will follow at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Life Center.
Tom will be placed with his beloved son at a private ceremony at the Forest Lawn Mausoleum.
The family requests no flowers, but instead remembrances be made in Tom’s memory to the following charities: Journey Program, MS OA.5.250, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98145-5005 (https://giveto.seattlechildrens.org/) or Wounded Warrior Project, PO BOX 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 (www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.aspx).
Published in The West Seattle Herald Section of The Westside Weekly October 18, 2013
