SEQUIM — Two memorial services are planned for Louie Rychlik, a Sequim businessman and longtime volunteer who was named the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce 2015 Citizen of the Year.
One is today, planned by the Sequim Museum board from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Dungeness Schoolhouse, 2781 Towne Road, Sequim.
His family plans another on Saturday, according to Brendin Rychlik, the late Rychlik’s grandson who said he was raised as his son.
The family celebration of life will be from noon to 3 p.m. at the Port Angeles BMX Track at Lauridsen Boulevard and L Street.
“He helped build it,” Brendin said.
Rychlik died Aug. 9 at the age of 74. His death was from complications of a stroke, Brendin said.
Today’s memorial gathering will feature Rychlik’s favorite music, humorous stories about his life and a slideshow of photographs.
“The museum board wants to honor Louie in the building when he began school in 1947 and the place he has worked so hard during the last 2½ years. The historically restored old classroom will be open also,” said Judy Reandeau Stipe, volunteer executive director at the Sequim museum.
Rychlik was a supporter of the restoration and beautification of the Dungeness Schoolhouse, Stipe said.
Along with friend Dan Smith, a retired contractor and fellow Sequim Prairie Pioneer, Rychlik worked as project manager of an elevator installation project at the schoolhouse last year.
He hung lights from the belfry this past holiday season, Stipe said.
Rychlik also is survived by his children Rodney and Cristina, sister Kathy Hahn of Port Angeles, 10 other grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces and cousins in the area. His children Louie Jr. and Danyale predeceased him.
Rychlik, who owned Louie’s Well Drilling of Port Angeles for more than 40 years, devoted philanthropic and volunteer work to such endeavors as the Sequim Museum, the city of Sequim’s Music in the Park series, the Veterans Monument at 544 N. Sequim Ave., Sequim festivals and other community efforts.
In her letter of nomination to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, Stipe provided a bit of Rychlik’s biography.
He was born at the Port Angeles General Hospital in 1942 to Louis Rychlik and Marcella Swanburg Rychlik. The fourth of seven children, he attended Dungeness School starting in 1947 before transferring to Sequim in 1955.
Rychlik married Marla (Parker) on Sept. 11, 1972, in Port Angeles, and the two raised Danielle (“Boo-Boo”) Rychlik. His wife was the business manager for his company before her death in 2008.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
Michael Dashiell, editor of the Sequim Gazette of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, contributed to this story.
