Joseph Sedlacik

Joseph John Sedlacik, age 89, of Wayne, passed peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

He was born in Passaic to John and Mary Sedlacik, where he attended St Mary’s grammar school and the Passaic vocational school. As a young boy, Joe earned extra money for his family as a pin-setter at the Garden Palace Lanes in Clifton.  The family eventually moved and bought a chicken farm in East Paterson (now known as Elmwood Park).  After vocational school, he worked for Howard Zink Corporation in Passaic before enlisting into the United States Marine Corp.   One night, while home on leave, Joe stopped in to see his brother Al at the Garden Palace Lanes. Rosemary was bowling with Joe’s brother, Al, and when Joe walked in with his Marine Corps uniform on she was smitten. Joe would later admit to her, that when he first saw her, he knew she was the girl he would someday marry.  Their first years together were as pen-pals while Joe served in the Marines. Unbeknownst to each other, they both saved every letter and still have them to this day. When Joe was discharged from his service, they were to be married but had to wait a year as Rosemary’s grandfather had recently passed and it was the tradition to wait a year before any family celebrations. They married on May 7, 1955 at Holy Trinity Church in Passaic followed by a reception at Turn Hall in Passaic.  Joe and Rosemary drove to Miami Beach, Florida for their honeymoon in his blue-green Chevy Impala.  When they got to Miami Beach, Joe had to go see a doctor as he got sun poisoning on his left arm that had been hanging out the window from New Jersey to Florida. Joe and Rosemary had sixty-six years of a devoted marriage that was blessed with four children.

Joe was very proud of his Marine Corps service during the Korean War.  As he was being transported to Korea the Korean Armistice was signed and his ship was re-routed to Japan. Upon his Honorable discharge from the Marines, he attained the rank of Sergeant and received the Good Conduct Medal, National Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. He was a member of Anthony Wayne Post 174 of the American Legion.

Joe was an iron worker for Ironworkers Local #483 out of Paterson, for 34 years during which time he worked on the former Giant’s Stadium, Horizon House in Fort Lee, and numerous infrastructures across North Jersey before retiring in 1989.

Joe was dedicated to his Catholic faith and was a long time parishioner of Holy Cross Church in Wayne.  Many will remember him greeting and ushering people at Mass for over fifty years.

Joe will be lovingly remembered for his friendly, outgoing way and the fact that he could get a little “saucy” at times. He did not like losing at games, would get angry playing Pictionary, stole Monopoly money, and would hide that last piece of a puzzle so he could claim to have finished it. He was a devoted husband and father who loved family vacations at the Ocean Beach section of the Jersey Shore and enjoyed vacations in Aruba where he had a time-share for over thirty years. He has also visited many National Parks, bowled in leagues for many years, and enjoyed playing video poker in both Atlantic City and Aruba casinos.  He was an animal lover and enjoyed his grand-dogs and feeding the squirrels and chipmunks. He liked to watch golf on television as well as watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.  Some will recall his having a separate vegetable garden for himself and one for Rosemary.

He was the loving husband of sixty-six years to Rosemary; devoted father of Joseph J. Sedlacik, Jr. of Wayne, Chris Sedlacik of Wayne, Teresa Stiles and her husband Michael of Clifton, and the late Deborah A. Petkovich (d. 2010); he was the cherished grandfather of Brian, Sarah, and Kristin Sedlacik, Amanda Petkovich, and Alexandra Sedlacik; he was the dearly loved great-grandfather of Adrianna Sedlacik, and loving grandfather of his grand-dog, Ruby. Joe is survived by his sister Ann Castiglia and her husband Joe of Pompton Plains and was predeceased by his brothers: John, Edward, Emil, Al, Walter, and Richard, and sisters: Agnes, Elizabeth, Mary, and Julia and two siblings who passed very young.