Obituary of Thaddeus Szychowski

Thaddeus "Ted" Szychowski passed away unexpectedly, on Saturday, October 9th, following a short illness. Ted was born April 16th, 1930, in Wilkes Barre, PA, to Anthony & Julia Szychowski. His lifelong love of aircraft led him to enlist in the U.S. Air Force at age 18. After basic training, Ted attended the prestigous Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, CA., earning diplomas in Polish and Russian. While studying in Monterey, Ted fell in love with California and a beautiful Italian girl named Loretta Casalegno. Together they traveled the world with their four children. While fluent in other languages, his military intelligence duties centered around Polish and Russian. Ted's 20 yrs. in USAF Intelligence spanned 3 wars. His top secret duties allowed Ted and his teammates a ringside seat to history. Career highlights included a tour of duty in Turkey monitoring Russian space and missile operations in the early 1960's, gathering and monitoring Russian intelligence during the Cuban Missile Crisis. For this work, he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. Tours of duty included England, Turkey, Germany, and the National Security Agency in Ft. Meade, MD. Ted summed up his military career in these words: "Although I did not carry any weapons, I'm proud of my contribution to a peaceful solution to the Cold War." Following retirement in 1969, Ted & family settled on the Casalegno Family property at the corner of Old San Jose & Laurel Glen Rds., where he became the "self-appointed information officer" of all that was going on in the Soquel Valley. He went on to run the family business at Casalegno's Store from 1986-1994 where he was as quick to dispense unsolicited advice as he was a joke, all while giving change for your purchase. Ted remained a fixture at the business up till the time of his death; working, having daily coffee, or a beverage on the infamous "green bench." He thrived around people, especially family, including many "adopted stepsons & daughters". Ted's greatest joy was a table filled with family and good food. He made friends the world over with his sense of humor and optimism. He was a man who could "walk with kings and yet not lose the common touch." Ted also loved and took much pride in his grandchildren and their accomplishments. He was one of a kind who made a lasting impact on his community. Ted is survived by his wife of 59 years, Loretta (Casalegno) Szychowski, for which he presented her a "medal of achievement" at their 50th Anniversary. Children include daughters Ries and Eileen Szychowski, sons Steven (wife Beth), and Mark (wife Esther) Szychowski, and five loving grandchildren: Zach, Angelo, Jessica, Nick and Gina Szychowski. Also surviving: sisters Helen Szychowski, Genevieve Rooney, and Irene Zielinski. Per Ted's wishes there will be a small private ceremony, followed by a Celebration of Life to be announced at a later date, where friends and family can enjoy good food, and fun memories of Ted. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Ted's favorite charity: Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship, 23623 North Scottsdale Road, D-3259, Scottsdale, AZ. 85255.