John Stephen Lewkiewicz

John Stephen Lewkiewicz, 78 of Danbury, longtime resident of Ridgefield, died peacefully on March 11, 2024. He was the loving husband of the late Helen N. Lewkiewicz.

John was born in Woodside, Queens, NY on April 21, 1945, the second son of the late Michael and Ann (Figura) Lewkiewicz. He attended elementary school at St. Theresa's School in Woodside and graduated from Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in 1962. He studied electrical engineering at Manhattan College in the Bronx, completing his bachelor's degree in 1966. At Manhattan, he played on the baseball team and received the college's “scholar-athlete” Jasper award.

After college, John accepted a job at the New York Telephone Company in the burgeoning field of computer programming. He would remain with the company as a programmer analyst for 31 total years through its later incarnations as Bell Atlantic and Verizon, first in Manhattan and later in White Plains, NY. He met his wife, Helen, in Manhattan, and they were married in October 1981. They first lived in Sunnyside, Queens, and then built a home in East Hampton, NY, where they lived until moving to Ridgefield in 1998.  

In keeping with his love of computer programming, John thoroughly enjoyed the 2000s tech revolution and was always the first to try out the latest gadgets and new technology.  A longtime member of St. Mary's Church, his Catholic faith guided him throughout his life: he was a staunch advocate for peace who regularly attended anti-war protests and supported poverty-related causes. Despite not growing up with pets, John became a cat lover after being forced to adopt two orange tabbies, Hanni and Cinnamon, by his seven year old daughter, and enjoyed spending time with the cats at ROAR in Ridgefield.  His late brother, Richard, was his best friend, and they met up for weekly hikes and diner meals around Westchester County for many years.  After his family, the greatest love of his life was the New York Yankees, whom he stuck by through all their good and bad years.

John is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Lewkiewicz (Alexis de la Cotte) and his beloved grandcat, Vanilla; his sisters, Mary and Helen; and many cousins. He was predeceased by his wife, Helen, his parents, and his brother, Richard.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 10:00 AM in Saint Mary's Church; 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. There will be no calling hours and interment will take place privately.

Contributions in John's memory may be made to the Police Athletic League of New York City, http://palnyc.org

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