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BETHLEHEM -- Admired community leader and village council member Stanley "Stacky" Wojcik died Wednesday, leaving friends and peers to mourn his loss. He was 70.
Wojcik, who took a seat at the council table in July of 2007, a role which he held ever since, was a well-known man about town, active with city affairs and instrumental in keeping village affairs running smoothly. Social media posts indicate that Wojcik died Wednesday of complications from COVID-19.
Numerous Bethlehem officials spoke highly of Wojcik, who wore many hats over his career. Former Bethlehem Mayor Tim Bishop said a common thread among people remembering Wojcik was that he was a drummer while he was younger, and while Bishop never saw that side of him, he was the community's steady rhythm.
"When I read those, I thought to myself, wow, what a great metaphor for Stacky's role in the village," Bishop said. "A drummer is in the back and he's keeping everything together. The lyrics don't work and the guitar doesn't work and the bass doesn't work unless you've got a solid beat.
"That's what Stacky was in the village," he continued. "I would have an idea and Stacky would be into it and get behind it, and he's back there keeping the beat. He's taking care of making sure the project doesn't go off the rails, but he doesn't do it from the forefront, he does it in the background.
Bishop also extolled Wojcik's enthusiasm for the community, in particular the children. Others said Wojcik took to the city's park system with gusto. Once Wojcik approached Bishop to get the fence at the community park painted. Bishop started working to find a company for the project.
"(A)nd I come down to the village office one day, and there's Stacky outside, painting the fence," Bishop said. "That was him. He was going to get it done."
Village clerk Erin Ruth worked alongside Wojcik as the parks representative, which saw him constantly pushing for work on the park, making phone calls, and supporting functions and fundraisers.
"He knew everybody, because he was the mailman," Ruth said. "Always, you could call him anytime, and he'd be happy and willing to help. He's a real good guy."
"He was a people person — he interfaced with people, and he wasn't bashful, and wasn't hard to make friends with," added Bethlehem Mayor Don Junkins. "… When you start talking about him, you can get carried away, because there's so many things to say."
Wojcik leaves behind his wife, Bev, a son, Logan, a brother, Dave, and sisters Kathy and Trish, according to Junkins. He was most recently re-elected to council last July for his seventh term.