John R. “Rick” Wavrunek, Jr.

John R. Wavrunek, Jr., “Rick,” age 76, died peacefully in his home the evening of Tuesday, December 3, 2019, ending his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while in the comfort of his stepdaughter, Nicole L. Voigt, “Nicki”. Rick is survived by his wife of 33 years, Jacquelyn M. Wavrunek, “Jackie,” her daughter Nicki, and Nicki’s two sons, Sean and Wyatt Jaeger, of Delaware Township, New Jersey.

Rick was born in Two River, Wisconsin, and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois. He is also survived by his biological family in the Chicago area, who held a special place in his heart. Rick served in the Illinois Army National Guard during the Vietnam war and was honorably discharged. As a young man, he worked as an apprentice electrician, advanced in his positions, and retired as head electrical forman of the City of Chicago. Rick was known for his gourmet cooking, avid music collection, dry sense of humor, and gentle kindness. He also loved boating, antique cars, golfing, traveling to warm places, and his morning workouts and coffee with his buddies at the gym.

After many years of living in Edgebrook, Illinois, Rick and Jackie retired to Fairhope, Alabama, where Rick enjoyed his hobbies and, together, they enjoyed the warmer weather, friendly community, home-keeping, and Mobile Bay. Nicole, Sean, and Wyatt visited them often and most enjoyed Rick’s smiles, boat rides, and loving preparation of their favorite foods. Rick and Jackie experienced “love at first sight,” and were known as a passionately bonded, spiritual, and inseparable couple who created welcoming spaces and meals with exquisite attention to detail. They loved their occasional trips to Anguilla where they befriended locals while supporting their businesses and animal shelter. Rick also appreciated humanity, hard work, and the simple things, often saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” a motto by which he lived without exception.

Rick’s last years were spent grieving and assisting his wife, Jackie, who declined with dementia, while attending to his own affairs with ALS and still doing all that he could to help those around him. So that she may be properly cared for, as of 2018, Jackie resides in a nursing home in Hopewell, New Jersey, near her daughter. Given her condition, the family requests that condolences not be sent to Jackie. In his final year, diagnosed with ALS, Rick also relocated to New Jersey, where he was loved and cared for by Nicki and her teenage sons, and nurse Deb Lyons, who became a good friend to Rick and the family, bringing them all much comfort and assistance.

Although, at the age of 75, Rick refused to accept artificial life supporting interventions, he read articles on the latest developments in ALS research, tried promising ALS supplements with hope, and undoubtedly desired to live a new chapter of his life. Like Rick, those living with ALS are pressed hard against a sharp edge of passing time while anxiously awaiting further breakthroughs in ALS treatments and cures and while requiring costly care. It is for this reason that donations may be made in Memory of Rick Wavrunek to the ALS Association by clicking HERE with optional message to his family c/o rickwavrunek@gmail.com.

Rick is in the care of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. The family will be grieving and celebrating Rick in a private ceremony. In lieu of a public service, you are invited to visit Rick’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a memorial candle, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Our comfort is in remembering all that we loved about Rick, appreciating what we learned from him, knowing that he was loved and not alone, and trusting that his soul shines upon us all is in the pure love, freedom, and limitless comfort of God’s peace.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”