Former alderman, grocery manager loved St. Charles

Witold P. Pichik loved to work, loved his family and loved St. Charles.

He was involved in a variety of activities in town - from serving as alderman to leading the VFW.

Known affectionately as "Pich," he was very hands on, such as when he served as an alderman and personally cleared leaves out of sewer gates during storms to prevent flooding.

"He just enjoyed working with the public and he wanted to see things done better," said Elaine Pichik, his wife of 62 years. "He was just a city man and he liked his town of St. Charles."

But he also preferred to stay behind the scenes, resisting the limelight. He worked nearly 60 years at grocery stores before retiring as manager of the Blue Goose in 1990.

Pichik, a World War II Navy veteran, died Wednesday at the age of 87.

The Elgin native's list of involvement reads like the ledger of a Charlemagne Award winner, the de facto Citizen of the Year Award from St. Charles.

In addition to eight years on the city council, he was a longtime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Charles and was an usher for more than 25 years.

He was a member and past commander of VFW Post 5036 and served as the group's blood bank chairman for 10 years.

He never won the Charlemagne, but might have declined it anyway.

Kathy Loewen, who lives in Batavia, said her father came from humble beginnings and was very generous. During the holidays, he would work extra hours if younger kids at the grocery store were out of town or unavailable.

"He didn't have a lot of hobbies because he was working all the time," Loewen said. "He never wanted any praise, never wanted any compensation. He didn't need pomp and circumstance. That's just not how he was."

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., St. Charles.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1145 N. Fifth Ave., St. Charles. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, or Vitas Hospice, 580 Waters Edge Drive, Lombard, Illinois 60148.