John S. Wickert

John Steven Wickert, a native Staten Islander and retired elevator technician who cultivated friendships with ease throughout his life, died Tuesday in Bayhealth Medical Center, Dover, Del., of lung cancer. He had celebrated his 83rd birthday the day after Christmas.

Born and raised in Annadale, Mr. Wickert was the youngest of six boys. His family operated several gas stations in Richmond and Annadale, and his parents worked hard to afford a Catholic education for their sons.

After graduation from St. Peter's Boys High School, Mr. Wickert enlisted in the Army, serving as a private for just a few months before a vision condition necessitated his medical discharge.

He met his wife, the former Helen Ann Rutkowski, while vacationing in Wildwood, N.J. After a three-year courtship, they were married on Sept. 27, 1958 in Holy Cross R.C. Church, followed by a reception in the Polish American National Hall, both in the Maspeth section of Queens.

After a honeymoon in Niagara Falls, the Wickerts settled in Queens. They moved to Staten Island in 1970 after adopting a son, John-Paul, from the Angel Guardian Home in Brooklyn.

As an installation technician for Otis Elevators, Mr. Wickert worked in the World Trade Center and dozens of other New York City skyscrapers until a back injury forced him into early retirement. He later drove a taxi in Manhattan from 1981 to 1989.

He enjoyed gardening around his tidy two-family brick home in Sunnyside, where he and his wife lived until last summer when they moved to State Street Assisted Living in Dover, Del.

He had a passion for gardening, baseball and deep-sea fishing, and was a longtime parishioner of St. Teresa's R.C. Church, Castleton Corners.

"My father made friends right up until the end" of his life, said his son, John, of Manchester Center, Vt. "He put people at ease with his wonderful disposition. He celebrated life and was proud to be a Staten Islander."

In addition to his wife and son, survivors include his son's partner of 27 years, Ted Bovey. He was predeceased by his brothers, George, Thomas, Henry, Joseph and Paul.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey Funeral Home, Castleton Corners, with a mass at 10:45 a.m. in St. Teresa's Church. The Rev. Louis Jerome Jr., pastor of Sacred Heart R.C. Church in West Brighton, will officiate. Private entombment will take place in St. John's Cemetery, Queens.