John Wielick

He is preceded in death by his devoted, loving wife of 48 years, Johanna Wielick, and son, Glenn Wielick, his sister, Ziska, and his parents. He is survived by his two children, Rolf (and wife Rebecca and daughters Lia and Lindsey), and Nettie (and daughters Hilary and Lana) of Washington State, and his son Glenn’s widow, Karen (and their son Braden) also of Washington. He is also survived by his dear companion for the past 18 years, Sylvia Rasmussen, and her family whom he called his own, all of Washington.

John was born in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, on May 25, 1930, and led a childhood of exploring on his bicycle, playing with his Meccano and train sets, and doing “boy” things. His world changed dramatically at age 10 when the Nazis occupied The Netherlands in May 1940. It was a period of extreme hardship for John, which included regular searches of his home by the Germans looking for his father.

John was only 15 years old in 1945 when WW2 ended. In 1949, at age 19, and facing a future in a war-ravaged homeland, John left The Netherlands for London for temporary work and in April 1950, he departed permanently for America with $100 in his pocket and a few personal belongings, to work in Middletown, NY. In early 1951, and not yet a U.S. citizen, John was drafted into the U.S. Army as a chaplain’s assistant as a part of the occupation forces in Germany near where the Dachau concentration camp used to be. The entrance was still there, and they passed it every time they went into the city. These experiences shaped John’s world and life view.

Upon his return to America, he moved to Chicago where he was introduced to a “Dutch girl” by friends. Johanna and John married on a hot day in Chicago on October 2, 1953. Following the birth of two sons, Glenn and Rolf, the family moved to Seattle in 1957. In 1959, their daughter, Nettie, was born. It was at this time that John began a long career in sales and then in management at Keuffel and Esser Co., a large national engineering supply firm. After being the Northwest Region manager in Seattle for many years, he became the Western U.S. Region manager out of Los Angeles in 1980. Following a successful and busy family and business life, John retired in 1989. By this time, he had returned to Seattle and Jo and John were living a happy life in Mukilteo, WA. John was Jo’s “good egg”. She was his “Hapsie”. Jo and John relished their growing families as grandchildren entered the world. They enjoyed vacations in Mexico and Hawaii reveling in the interesting places, cultures, and flowers they encountered. John carried his love for plants, traveling, animals, cheese!, and his love of classical music, especially opera, throughout his later years. John liked to say that he was not religious, but spiritual. Those around him felt his spirit.

In February 2002 his dear wife, Jo, passed away suddenly. He rekindled a friendship that Jo and John had both had with Sylvia Rasmussen, and it blossomed into an 18-year loving relationship that kept John young, introduced him to new adventures and friends, and gained him a whole new family to add to his existing one. John and Sylvia shared a wonderful life together during these years, finding that they could talk endlessly about everything and anything and enjoying their annual trips together to Hawaii. Sadly, John passed away during heart surgery in March 2021.

John was a loving father, Opa, and friend to many. The world lost a truly gentle man. We love him and miss him dearly.

Memorials may be given to Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) (www.paws.org) or Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org).