John Andrew Lychek

John Andrew Lychek
1936-2021

John Andrew Lychek passed away on September 21, 2021, his 85th birthday, at Woodingford Lodge, Woodstock, Ontario. He was born September 21,1936 in Port Arthur, Ontario. He is survived by his wife Pat, daughter Sally, son Sheldon, three grandchildren, and many other relatives across Ontario and Western Canada. John was predeceased by his parents Mary and Andrew, a sister Mary Wickman and brother Joseph. 

John graduated from the University of Western Ontario, Ivey Business School in 1960. After he graduated, John pursued a career as an educator, first as a high school teacher. In 1965 John was appointed to the Ministry of Education as a program superintendent at the Independent Learning Centre in Toronto. In 1971 he was seconded to the federal government specifically to the Canadian International Development Agency. This assignment took him to Nairobi, Kenya, where he was responsible for organizing teacher training for a project that brought business education into high schools for East Africa. 

John lived in Thunder Bay, Kenya, Australia, Hanover, and settled in Port Rowan in 2015. He enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and hunting in various parts of the world, golfing wherever and whenever he could. Travel was foremost for John. His adventurous spirit took him around the world many times, spending a great deal time both in Thailand and at Lake Chapala in Mexico. It was in Mexico he first began acting in live theatre. John had various roles in many productions to encompass every genre from Shakespeare to comedies. He acted, directed and wrote plays to the delight of many audiences. He was sought after as an actor because he was known to be a “Fast Study” and could learn and retain his material quickly and deliver an expert performance. As he once explained, he loved becoming someone else for brief periods. 

Final arrangements have been entrusted to Wareing Cremation Services, 225 Norwich Ave., Woodstock, Ontario. A Celebration of Life will be announced and held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Haldimand Norfolk or to Purrfect Companions of Norfolk.  Your messages of remembrance and condolence may be shared at wareingcremation.ca