Hopkinton - John F Czerkiewicz, Sr., 77, of Rockville, RI passed away suddenly on Friday, September 24, 2021 while in the woods, the place that he loved the most.
Born in West Warwick, he was the son of the late Walter and Catherine (Mangene) Czerkiewicz, Sr.
John was the loving devoted father of Becky L (Czerkiewicz) Rossi and her husband Anthony of Warwick. He was also the father of his predeceased son John F. Czerkiewicz, Jr. and his wife Shirley of North Carolina. John also leaves his loving partner, Maureen Power of Chepachet. He is survived by his brother Walter Czerkiewicz, Jr. and his wife Laura of Rockville; and his sister Arlene Bader and her husband Raymond of Hope Valley, along with all his loving nieces and nephews. John also leaves behind, 7 grandchildren, including Mark, Evan, Cole and Faith Rossi, whom he cherished and enjoyed taking them for hikes, ATV rides and teaching them his love for animals and his land.
John worked at Arnold’s Motorcycles in Providence as their Service Manager from the 1960’s till the close of business. He was a member of Arnold’s Harley-Davidson Racing team and personally drag raced for Harley-Davidson, where he won and set numerous International and National records. John also would periodically assist Harley-Davidson with product design and build of their motorcycles prior to production. John then continued his love for motorcycles and opened his own shop on his farm, where riding enthusiasts would come from all over the country for his expertise and knowledge of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. For many years, John worked with the Rhode Island State Police Motorcycle Division as one of their instructors.
John was an avid woodsman who enjoyed countless days with his friends hunting, hiking, ATV riding and beekeeping. His farm consisted of many animals throughout the years. His compassion to nurse and care for injured deer was witnessed by all who knew him. One of his greatest pleasures in life was having his family and friends around to share his passion of his farm. If you were John’s friend, you knew you were always welcome to stop by, hang at the garage and share some stories with all the guys. The echoes of laughter from John, Randy, Mikey, Sal, CJ, Pete, and his countless other best friends (too many to name) can be heard the minute you drive up to the farm. These memories will always be treasured by all who knew him.
This is just a short story of his life. John was truly a unique and amazing man, but always humble. He accomplished so much yet he lived life simply. He had so much more to teach everyone, and his Spirit will live on in the woods he loved so much.
There will be a Celebration in honor of John’s life for family and close friends on Saturday, October 16th. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory to The Trees Remember, 25 Valleyview Drive, Suite 200, Middlefield, CT 06455 (https://thetreesremember.com) would be appreciated. For Guest Book, please visit www.bellowsfuneralchapel.com. Arrangements entrusted with Bellows Funeral Chapel, 160 River Road, Lincoln.
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