Chester Zygmund Wasiuk

CHESTER ZYGMUND WASIUK May 21, 1929 ~ December 30, 2016 Ceslaus Sigismundus Kincinski was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 21, 1929. His parents, Victor and Sophia immigrated from Poland. Due to financial difficulties and substance abuse, Chester and his siblings were placed in an orphanage at St. John's Home for orphans in Grand Rapids. At the age of 6, Ceslaus, later named Chester Zygmund Wasiuk (nicknamed Chet), was taken in by Michael and Josephine Wasiuk who officially adopted him at the age of 16. Chester attended the Sacred Heart Catholic church and school. His passion was to become a Catholic priest and he had attended Seminary. Due to a stomach ulcer, he was unable to continue and after 2-1/2 years he had to leave the seminary, Chester met his future wife, Joanne Surofchek, in the fall of 1954. Two weeks after their first date, they became engaged and were married the following year, on May 14, 1955. Chester and Joanne had four children; Michael Joseph, Sharon-Kay Marie, Barbara Jean, and John Andrew. In 1964, the family moved to California. Chester and Joanne later divorced in 1966. Feeling his love life was over for good, Chester wrote a heart-felt song to God which has been shared with his children (as well as grandchildren) and subsequently video taped for preservation. Later, in the early 1960's he met his second wife while working at Southern Pacific Railroad in Los Angeles, CA. Chet and Alice Adair Ward were married February 24, 1967. Alice Ward had two children from a previous marriage, Stuart Alan, and Coralee Ruth. In 1971 the two families were merged into a "Brady Bunch" style family. Chester worked at various occupations, but the job that he held most dear was working for the railroad. He worked for several railroads in the mid-west and in 1965 started working as a clerk and later as a draftsman engineer at Southern Pacific Railroad. He retired from the railroad in 1994. With Chester's second marriage, he converted from Catholicism to the Presbyterian church. After 46 years, he returned to the Catholic church and was a regular attender at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Vancouver, WA. Regaining his passion for Catholicism, he served as an Usher with great pride until he was no longer able to walk without a cane. He was than tapped to be a greeter, which was his life's calling. Those he greeted saw a bright smile and always received a warm hug. At the age of 79, Chester was reunited with one of his older sisters Louise, whom he had not seen since he was 4 years old. He met her in Kentucky near her home where the Mayor presented him with a plaque proclaiming him as a "honorary Kentucky Colonel." Within a year, he was also reunited with another older sister, Isabel and older brother Casimere of Michigan Chester has many hobbies, but his all time favorite was gardening, followed by wood crafting. As a younger man, he enjoyed getting up very early and taking long walks, while watching the sunrise. He always told his children that he did this, because someday he would not be able to walk as well. As an older man, he devoted most of his day to prayer and mass and fervently prayed for all of his children, especially his one child who suffered from alcoholism. Chester is preceded in death by his first and second wives and his youngest daughter who tragically passed away at the young age of 41 from breast cancer. He was also preceded in death by his sister Louise and his brother Casimere, along with four other brothers and sisters. Chester is survived by his five remaining children; Stuart Ward, Michael Wasiuk (Lori Wasiuk), Sharon Carman (Gary Carman), Coralee Koning and John Wasiuk (Brenda Wasiuk); grandchildren; Sean Reyerse, Tina Koning, Jennifer Wasiuk, Dusty Ward, Jason Carman, Katie Ferguson, Christopher Carman (Paola Carman), Chris Wasiuk, Melissa Ferguson, James Wasiuk, Julie Wasiuk, Kevin Wasiuk, Tyler Ferguson, Samantha Wasiuk and Blake Wasiuk, and great-grandchildren; Joshua Reyerse and Mia Reyerse. Celebration of Life service will be held at Cascade Presbyterian Church on Friday, January 6, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., 9503 N.E. 86th Street, Vancouver, WA 98662. Catholic Services at St. Joseph Catholic Church 400 S. Andresen Rd., Vancouver, WA 98661, to be announced. Chester has chosen to be cremated and interred at Evergreen Memorial Gardens in Vancouver, WA. Please sign his guestbook at www.columbian.com/obits

Chester Zygmund Wasiuk

May 21, 1929 - December 30, 2016