SALEM - Arthur J. Chmielewski, 91, husband of the late Dorothy (Lawicki) Chmielewski, died Wednesday morning, March 26, 2008, at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers following a short illness.
Born in Salem, he was the son of the late John & Josephine (Racki) Chmielewski. His family returned to Poland shortly after he was born and he was raised and educated in Poland. During WWII, due to his American citizenship, he was held in a war camp by the Germans. Following the war, he came back to Salem, then moved to Chicago in 1947 where he worked as an optical technician for Boll & Lewis Optical Co.
Arthur retired and moved to Florida in 1979, then returned to Salem in 1995. Throughout his life he was a devout Catholic.
He is survived by two sisters-in-law, Geraldine D’Entremont, Eva Lawicki and several nieces and nephews in Poland and the US, including, Linda Rideout, Roland D’Entremont and Diane Hurley, all of Peabody and Maria Brzeska of Toronto, Canada. He also leaves Tony Pesta of Sun City, Arizona, a longtime friend whom he met when they were both in the war camp during WWII.
His funeral Mass will be held Monday, March 31, 2008 at 10 am at the St. John The Baptist Church, Salem. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Salem. Relatives and friends respectfully invited.There are no visiting hours. Arrangements by the Full-Spychalski Funeral Home, 84 Washington Square East, by Salem Common, Salem. For those who desire, donations may be made in his memory to the Hospice of The North Shore, 10 Elm St., Danvers, MA 01923. For on-line guestbook and directions, visit www.SalemFuneral.com.