John Victor Olszewski

John V. Olszewski of Arlington Heights passed away on January 8th at the age of 88. He was born in 1938 to the late John and Verna Olszewski in Pulaski, WI, which was a Polish-Catholic community near Green Bay, WI.

John attended schools in Pulaski and was President of his graduating class from Pulaski High School in 1956. He attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Unsure of his career choice, John applied and was accepted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he received his Masters Degree in Industrial Management. It was while there that he met and married Virginia “Jerri” Letson.

Together, they embarked on a lifetime of family building, adventure and travel. Their first home was in New York state when John was employed by Ingersoll-Rand. He was later recruited to work in the Treasurer’s Department of Exxon Corporation. John’s career with Exxon moved the family to various locations in the United States, Asia (Hong Kong) and Europe (Brussels). This allowed for many interesting adventures.

After John’s retirement from Exxon, John and Jerri traveled to more than 130 countries including Antarctica, New Zealand, Burma, Vietnam, Iran, Cuba and South Africa.

John will be remembered for his keen mind, his interest in history and global affairs, and his willingness to listen to others’ views. He was modest about his own accomplishments which included his having risen from a small rural community to assume various executive positions in a major international corporation.

John was pre-deceased by his parents and his sister Shari Ziechert. He is survived by his brother Thomas (Paula), his devoted wife of 65 years Jerri, his three children John (Lindy), Susan, Steven (Lisa), 7 grandchildren - Lauren, John M, Justin, Tyler P, Tyler J, Kaitlin and Reagan — and 3 great grandchildren — Jonah, Nora, and Levi — and numerous nieces and nephews.

John was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September and chose to refuse aggressive treatment but preferred to spend the final months of his life at home surrounded by his family. He will always be remembered by them for his quiet dignity, his generous spirit and his acceptance of his illness.