Richard (Rich) passed away on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in the presence of his loving wife and the caring staff of Froedtert Hospital.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Rose (Barczak) Tyszka, his sister-in-law, Paula Tyszka, and his goddaughter, Rachael (Sitarz) Jacobson.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Jeanne, his brothers, Paul Tyszka of Tinley Park, IL and Robert Tyszka of Brooksville, FL, his sister-in-law, Anne Tyszka, nieces, Rosemary Tyszka and Traci Sharkey, nephew, John Tyszka, and godson, Josh Pullin. He was uncle-in-law to Jeanne’s many nieces and nephews, with a very special connection to John Jensen. Further survived by many friends and relatives.

Rich was born on May 14, 1947, to Edward and Rose Tyszka in Chicago, Illinois, surrounded by a loving, extended Polish family. The family lived in the near northwest area, where Rich started grade school at St. Helen. He finished elementary school at St. Symphorosa after the family moved to the south side in 1957, close to Midway airport. This may be where he grew to enjoy watching airplanes pass overhead. Another favorite pastime in his youth was listening to all kinds of radio, tuning in to faraway stations.

He graduated from De La Salle High School, the alma mater of many notable Chicagoans, in 1965. His high school friends nicknamed him “Rock” for his steadfast nature. He came to Milwaukee to attend Marquette University where he had the dream of working in radio broadcasting but instead earned a degree in Psychology and a minor in English in 1969. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater in 1973 with a Master of Science degree in Special Education.

He worked with adolescents with emotional disturbances at several psychiatric facilities in the 70s and 80s, the last of which was St. Mary’s Hill Hospital. He then taught at Union Grove High School until 1997, and finally as a permanent substitute teacher at Waukesha South High School until 2005, where he frequently assisted in the bilingual department. Throughout his career he always sought to fully understand and address a student’s needs.

While at St. Mary’s Hill, a colleague shared an interest in theater which led to Rich’s involvement with Bay Players Community Theatre in Whitefish Bay in the 1980s. Rich helped to build sets, climbed tall ladders to hang stage lights, photograph shows, shoot head shots of cast members, and run the lighting during shows. During his time with Bay Players he met Jeanne McGowan, who became his wife in 1989.

He enjoyed travel by train and car. Special rail trips included Glacier National Park and Southern California. Favorite road trips included Yellowstone, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, and Door County.

While he was a man of few words, when he spoke listeners often commented on his resonant voice.

He was a lifelong learner of history, finding connections between the past and the present. His special interests included aviation history, Chicago history, photography, Cubs baseball, detective mysteries, theater, trains, multiple genres of music, and Polish culture.

His pride in his Polish heritage led Rich to volunteer at Polish Fest in the 1980s and to become involved in its associated activities. After the completion of the Polish Center of Wisconsin in 2000, Rich took on several volunteer roles including serving on the board, front desk reception and guide, and chairing several committees for the festival.

A connoisseur of Polish food and that of other regions, he lamented having to restrict his diet in recent years. Additionally, diabetes and heart disease created barriers for him to continue participating in some of his interests.

His computer allowed him to continue to enjoy some hobbies, though, such as listening to different types of music, working on word puzzles, tracking airplanes and trains on the internet, following current events, and watching humorous videos on YouTube.

When he could, he liked to take long drives, which often included a stop at the observation area at Mitchell Field to watch airplanes land and take off. He also treasured any opportunity that let him stay connected to family and friends.

His calm manner, kindness, ability to listen, caring, and patience were appreciated by all who knew him.

His family would like to thank the cardiology team at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, especially PA Kylie Braam, for excellent care.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Polish Center of Wisconsin starting at 1:00 PM with memorial service at 2:30, followed by buffet luncheon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to WMSE radio, Hunger Task Force, or the Polish Center of Wisconsin.