Richard A. Wojcikowski

Richard A. Wojcikowski

If it were up to Rich, his obituary wouldn’t be about him. Instead, he would find a subtle way to make it about someone else – his family whom he adored, the friends he cherished, or the community in which he was so engaged. And he would do that while jumping up to refill a glass, grab a chair from the basement to make more room at the table, or writing a quick note to a Bookie’s customer in preparation for tomorrow’s delivery. Rich was always in motion, making sure others were taken care of. His passing on September 4, 2026, due to a fatal traffic accident was a shocking and tragic loss, and his presence is deeply missed.

Born on July 28th, 1969, in Hammond, Indiana, Rich grew up in nearby Munster and graduated from Munster High School in 1987. Rich was profoundly shaped by his experiences at the Munster and Dyer Dairy Queens, owned by his step-father, Bob Jurgenson, and his mother, Debbie Jurgenson (née Adams). Rich began working there in his teens, along with his beloved step-siblings, Karen Wright (née Jurgenson) and Curt Jurgenson. Whenever the three siblings got together as adults, legendary stories from their days at “the DQ” were often retold – always with uproarious laughter from the audience of nieces and nephews.

Growing up working in a family business instilled in Rich a strong work ethic. He was personally invested in the quality of his work and the satisfaction of those who benefitted from it. Rich worked for 16 years in management within the printing industry before becoming the Operations Manager for Bookie’s, a locally-owned bookstore on the south side of Chicago. Rich loved being a part of the Bookie’s “family”. He worked tirelessly to build lasting relationships in and around the local community to expand Bookie’s outreach. Rich was particularly proud of the growth Bookie’s experienced in their school book fair program, which fostered a love of reading for hundreds of children throughout the year while raising much-needed funds for their schools.

Rich earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Business from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, in 1992. It was there that he met the love of his life and future wife, Jennifer Bott. Rich and Jen married shortly after graduating from Indiana University and spent the next 34 years building a life that revolved around their love for each other and their three children, Noah, Callie, and Ellie. Rich’s family was his greatest source of joy. He was a devoted and silly Dad, always happy to be the butt of the joke if it made his kids laugh. Rich glowed when talking about the kind of adults his children had become. They inherited his kind, funny, hard-working and resilient nature, and he was so proud of the lives they each were building.

Rich cherished time spent with extended family, including Jen’s siblings and spouses, brother-in-law William Bott, Jr. (Anna), sister-in-law Deborah Bott (née Spears), brother-in-law Robert Rauch, and sister-in-law Karen Snyder (née Bott), as well as his many beloved nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephew.

Rich is survived by his wife, Jennifer, son Noah Wojcikowski, daughter Callie Wojcikowski, daughter Ellie Wojcikowski, mother Deborah Jurgenson, adopted father James Wojcikowski, step-brother Curtis Jurgenson (Tamara), and step-sister Karen Wright (Aaron).

Rich was preceded in death by his biological father, Randy Louis Bratcher, his step-father, Robert Jurgenson, his brother-in-law, Richard Bott, his sister-in-law, Kathy Rauch (née Bott), and his dear niece Abbey Bott.

A celebration of life will be held at Flossmoor Community Church, 2218 Hutchison Road, Flossmoor, IL 60422, at 1pm on Saturday, October 24th, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family is encouraging memorial donations to the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), Illinois Chapter to honor Rich’s commitment to creating a world where everyone is treated with kindness, respect, and understanding.