Submitted by: Dan Rich

Joseph M. Wojtys

March 10, 1932 - Jan. 3, 2001

South Bend Tribune 1/5/2001

Joseph Wojtys, 68, devoted husband, father and grandfather, of South Bend, Ind., died on Wednesday, Jan. 3, in Hospice House of St. Joseph County. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Shirley; a daughter, Leslie (Bryan) Gum of Naperville, Ill.; a son, Mark (Annie) Wojtys of Granger, Ind.; a daughter, Lisa (Ken) Burke of Orlando, Fla.; his sister, Delores Doll of Westchester, Ill.; and by nine grandchildren, Jessica and Tyler Gum, Kyle, Kaitlyn, Blake and Cameron Wojtys, and Brandon, Alyson and Colin Burke.

He was born on March 10, 1932, in Berwyn, Ill., and attended Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. In 1950, while at Fenwick, he was an all-state, all-American football player in Illinois. He attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., from 1950 to 1954, where he played football all four years as an offensive linemen. He was a member of the 1954 Big Ten Champion Team. Following college, he served his country in Korea as a first lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Joe and his wife Shirley lived and raised their family in South Bend. From 1958 to 1968 he taught history and coached football and wrestling at Riley High School. He spent the remainder of his career in sales for St. John Business Machines. He was a member of Little Flower Church, South Bend, where he served as an usher for many years.

A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, in Little Flower Church, 54191 N. Ironwood, South Bend. The church will open at 10 a.m. for visitation. Friends are invited to visit from 6 to 9 p.m. today, Jan. 5, in the Hickey Funeral Home, 17131 Cleveland Road, South Bend, where a wake service will be said at 6 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Little Flower Church Building Fund, 54191 N. Ironwood Drive, South Bend, IN 46635.