Thaddeus F. 'Ted' Pyrcz
BEDFORD MA Thaddeus F. 'Ted' Pyrcz, of Lowell, died peacefully on Friday, September 23, 2011, at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital after a long illness.
Born in Lowell on April 2, 1926, he was the son of John and Sophie (Chmaj) Pyrcz. He was raised in Lowell and attended St. Stanislaus School and Keith Academy.
Ted enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943. At that time he was a Senior at Keith Academy and needed his mother to sign his enlistment papers as he was not eighteen years old.
Ted proudly served his Country during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam War. He sailed on six Naval Vessels, Aircraft Carriers, U.S.S. Hancock and U.S.S. Bogue and four battleships, the St. Paul, the Pocono, the Mindora, and the Iowa.
He received many Naval Awards namely, the World War II Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American European, African, and Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Medals, and also the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Services in Vietnam.
Ted received his Honorable Discharge in August of 1967. That same year, he became employed at Honeywell in Billerica as Head of their postal services. During his employment at Honeywell, he became involved in a program by which over a period of time, he donated over five gallons of his blood platelets at Lawrence General Hospital. He retired from Honeywell in 1988.
In November 2007, Ted was honored at a Veterans' Day Ceremony at Lowell Catholic High School. The School faculty and the student body were assembled in the gym. At the ceremony, he was the recipient of his High School Diploma presented to him by the School Principal, some sixty four years after his Keigh Academy Class of 1943 had graduated. The mayor of Lowell also honored Ted by giving him a citation. A Military Honor Guard was in attendance representing the Armed Forces.
Ted was a member of the Polish American Club where he volunteered many hours and the Fleet Reserve Association.
He was a devout parishioner of the now closed, Sacred Heart Church, and the Holy Family Parish. At both of these parish churches, Ted assisted the priests at funeral Masses. He also served as the Chaplain's assistant on several of the ships on which he sailed.
Preceding him in death was his brother Alexander Pyrcz and his three sisters, Catherine Allen, Bernice Glynn, and Josephine Pyrcz.
Surviving him are his sister in law, Dorothy Pyrcz of Lowell; his nieces, Dorothy Mawn of Woburn, Barbara Allen and Joan Allen both of Lowell, Sandra Woods of Lowell, and Bernice Labreque of Wilbraham; his nephews, John Pyrcz of Lowell, James Pyrcz of Dracut, and Randolph Pyrcz of Chelmsford; and his grandniece, Krista Bassett of Dracut; and many grand and great grand nieces and nephews.
The Family would like to extend a special thank you to the Staffs of Community Family Lowell, Palm Manor of Chelmsford, and the GRECC Unit at the Bedford Veterans' Hospital for the excellent and loving care provided to our Uncle Ted.
You are invited to His Visitation from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. on Monday Morning, Sept. 26, at the MAHONEY FUNERAL HOME, 187 NESMITH ST., LOWELL 978-452-6361. His Funeral Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. at ST. ANTHONY'S CHURCH, 893 Central St., Lowell followed by Committal Prayers at St. Patrick Cemetery Chapel. Burial will be held privately at Holy Trinity Cemetery. Memorials in His name to Community Family, 236 Broadway St., Lowell MA 01854 or to Bedford Veterans' Hosp., GRECC Unit, 200 Springs Rd., Bedford MA 01730. ARRANGEMENTS BY THE MAHONEY FUNERAL HOME, 187 NESMITH STREET, LOWELL, MA 01852 978-452-6361.
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