Alek Wereszczak

Alek Wereszczak, of Herkimer, passed away on November 12. He was 97. Alek is survived by his four children, Sharon Marosek of Rimrock, AZ, Janice Wereszczak (and David Rodgers) of Chapel Hill, NC, Diane (and Walt) Bortle of Cochranville, PA, and Andrew (and Leslie) Wereszczak of Kingston, TN, nine grandchildren, Zachary Zimmermann, Kaye Bortle, Elliott Rodgers, Nicole Zimmermann, Anna Bortle, Ava Bortle, Andrew Bennett Rodgers, Alek Wereszczak, and Olivia Wereszczak, and two great grandchildren (Madalynn and Ryot Friedrich). He was a lifelong congregant of St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Herkimer, and a founding member of St. Rafael Orthodox Church in Inverness, FL.

Alek (Al) started life in a remarkable way. He was born to Justyna and Elek Wereszczak on February 29, 1928, a leap day and leap year baby. He was the youngest of seven children (Mary, Catherine, Nicholas, Olga, Anne, Peter, and then Alek). Al grew up on his parents' dairy farm in Columbia Center and attended Mohawk schools graduating in 1945. Just this past June, he celebrated the anniversary of his 80th high school graduation.

Al had multiple careers. As a young man, he worked for over 15 years at Chicago Pneumatic in Frankfort. Following that, he worked for over 15 years as a boiler inspector for New York State Industrial Safety until his "retirement" 42-years-ago in 1983. Al was an extraordinarily hard-worker and juggled those careers with his true passion - farming.

Al was very talented at farming and enjoyed growing and building things. Over the decades, he raised Angus cows, was a grassland farmer, then later developed and operated a locally renowned blueberry farm on Steuben Hill Road in Herkimer for over 30 years. Al was also a prolific and proud planter of trees, planting literally hundreds of thousands of them on his farm and for many others in the Mohawk Valley over his lifetime. But it was the blueberries and the pick-your-own farming operation that was most special as it brought us together as a family every year for ~25 summers. His children and grandchildren were not only able to enjoy the farm and New York summers, but they also learned to jump in and assist. It was an incredible gift. As a 93-year-old, Al announced it was getting to be "a bit too much work" and the blueberry farm was sold in 2023. Despite that, he was still willing to jump on a tractor, bale hay, mow the lawn, go for a ride on his four-wheeler, and work on construction projects. Just recently, Al remodeled a trailer and built a deck (his motto, "I'd rather wear out than rust out"). He really enjoyed this past summer with Sharon, and daily rejoicing in home-cooked meals then napping in the fresh air on his new deck.

Al had a lifetime history of pulmonary issues but persevered. When he was a young child, he was even given last rites in the hospital. Al particularly loved his sister Kate, who left school to care for him. Even with this history, he was the strongest of men, always bouncing back, and remarkable until the end.

Al's children wish to thank special friends Sarah Hazlewood and Stanley Malinowski, caretaker Becky Hulbert, our extended family, and patrons of the blueberry farm. We hope he has a long loop of orange twine on his arm...

Interment services will be held for Alek Wereszczak at a to-be-determined date in the spring of 2026 at St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in East Herkimer, NY, and their arrangements will be managed by Petykiewicz, Iocovozzi & Burns Funeral Home, Herkimer. Contributions in Alek's memory can be made to St. Mary's Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 324 Moore Ave., Herkimer, NY 13350.