Chester H. “Chet” Woroch, 95, of Kenosha, died on Saturday, February 5, 2014, at Brookside Care Center surrounded by his loving family. Born on August 22, 1918, he was the son of the late Heronim “Harry” and Aniela Anna (Renick) Woroch.
Chet attended local schools and graduated from Kenosha High School in the class of 1936. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from UW-Madison in 1949. Chet proudly served his country as a Staff Sergeant in the 8th Army Air Corps during World War II. While stationed in England, he flew 28 missions over Europe as a B-17 bomber tail gunner. Many years after the war, Chet made trips to Europe including a visit to the English town where he was stationed and to Germany to witness the fall of the Berlin Wall. Less than 2 years ago, Chet joined the Honor Flight with his son, Glenn, to visit the new WW II Memorial and the other Washington DC war monuments. The two appeared in one scene in the 2012 film documenting the Honor Flight program.
On June 29, 1946, at St. George Catholic Church, he was united in marriage to Dorothy Scholler. Chet met Dorothy at Hermann Drug Store where he worked as a soda jerk.
Chet was employed with Camosy Construction Co. as a project manager for 25 years. He oversaw construction projects on many landmark buildings in Kenosha, and northern Illinois including the Kenosha and St. Catherine’s Hospitals, UW-Parkside and Carthage College, local libraries and nursing homes, and Great America. He previously worked for the custom home builder, Charles E. Yandre, Inc., as well as at various local lumber companies. Chet designed and built the home he and Dorothy shared for nearly 60 years. Chet became a licensed real estate broker to complement his work in the home building business.
He was a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church and the former St. George Catholic Church, where he was a member of the Holy Name Society and served on the Building & Grounds Committee of the Parish Council. He was a Boy Scout Leader and a Lifetime VFW member. For many years, Chet was active in the St. Vincent De Paul Society where, among other positions, he was on the Kenosha store committee. Chet and his wife, Dorothy, were active on the social committee of Catholic Family Life Insurance. Chet was a 2017 recipient of the KBHSAA Distinguished Alumni Award.
Always learning, at the age of 62, Chet obtained a pilot’s license. As a hobby, he worked with his daughter, Kris, for 20 years, creating country wood crafts and selling them at various craft fairs. Chet was a bit of a fitness nut. He was an avid bike rider and for years he was an active member of the Kenosha Youth Foundation. He was an avid reader. He especially loved War and Spy novels.
Chet is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dorothy; his two children, Kristine (Richard) Wallace-Thoune of Kenosha and Glenn (Linda Pacheco) Woroch of Oakland, Calif.; three grandsons, Jeffrey (Alison) Wallace, Anthony (Christie-Lee) Wallace and Cristian Woroch and three great granddaughters, Jillian, Elsie and Makenna Wallace. He is further survived by his two brothers, Richard (Barbara) Woroch, Madison, WI, and Eugene (Anna Jean) Woroch, Lake Forest, IL, along with many, many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved son-in-law, Lynn J. Wallace.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:00AM at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church (4804 7th Avenue). Full military honors will follow after the Mass. A gathering of relatives and friends will be held at the church on Friday from 9:00AM until the time of the Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances to the National Parkinson Foundation or Honor Flight, Inc. would be appreciated by the family.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Mariani and the staff of Hospice Alliance, Inc. along with nurses and staff of Brookside Care Center for their wonderful care of Chet.