John "Jack" Szczepek

Jack, born in Chicago on December 24, 1942, left our world for a new one on March 13, 2026.

He was a devoted husband, married to Mary Kay, the love of his life and wife of 60+ years. She was his “brown eyed girl” and was at his side, and in his heart, since their wedding on July 17, 1965. He considered himself lucky that she put up with him.

He was a dad who cherished his three children and was fiercely proud of them all: Katie Shaw, Tricia Mattson, and Jack Szczepek. He taught them the importance of acting honorably in all things, to think for themselves, to appreciate a great read, and to be curious and never stop learning. He raised them to know they could accomplish anything.

He was an adored grandpa to his four perfect grandchildren, Claire, Issie, Chloe, and Griffin. They were the light of his life and brought him immense joy.

He was a father-in-law, respected and loved by his daughter-in-law, Jena Bjorgen, and son-in-law, Steve Mattson.

He left behind his sister, Trudy Maletta, his sister-in-law, Suzi Dimatteo, and brother-in-law, Jim (Bonnie) Dimatteo.

Apart from his family, he loved the Chicago Cubs, fishing, and golf. Not necessarily in that order.

Jack spent his career with Royal Insurance, which meant many moves for his young family, from his beloved Windy City to the Twin Cities of Minnesota and then on to New Jersey before settling in Charlotte in 1985. The gentler climate meant he could golf year-round, and he did so with gusto, greatly enjoying the time spent on the course with good friends. He liked visiting the pro shop almost as much as the course, acquiring enough gear to rival anyone on the PGA tour. He really, really liked jackets and owned way too many of them.

While he called Charlotte home for 40 years, his soul was in Northern Minnesota, through and through. No matter where he lived, he went back there a couple of times a year to chase the wily walleye around Leech Lake. He realized a life-long dream in 2007 when he put down official roots with the purchase of “the lake house,” his true happy place. He loved teaching anyone—especially his grandchildren—to fish, spending hours on the lake casting. He loved the chaos of a house full of family, and the days spent with his long-time friends, the “old fishermen.” The rhythm of the lake suited him, the gentle solitude, broken occasionally by the call of a loon.

Jack possessed boundless curiosity, and read widely, usually several books at once, an eclectic mix ranging from novels to history to science fiction. He was always intrigued by any story about time travel. While he was a harsh critic of poor writing and bad grammar, he had a deep appreciation for great prose. He also loved to watch his beloved Cubs, even when he said he hated it because they were losing, and he was overjoyed when they ended their 108-year World Series drought in 2016. He loved movies, even terrible ones, which he’d keep watching anyway while muttering about how stupid or unbelievable they were. He wasn’t a big talker, but when he had something to say it was always worth listening to.

A lifelong lover of classical music, he served on the board of WDAV public radio and was an enthusiastic patron of the Charlotte Symphony and Charlotte Opera. His first “retirement” ended when he took a position with the International Red Cross, an organization he greatly admired.

In the end, memories are all we have, and he gave us the very best ones. We will miss him more than any of us can express with words.

In lieu of flowers, donations to WDAV (give.wdav.org), The Northern Waters Land Trust (northernwaterslandtrust.org), or the International Red Cross (icrc.org) are preferred.

The family will greet friends from 2-4 pm on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at McEwen Funeral Service - Pineville Chapel, 10500 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210.