Paul George Wilczek
May 31, 1941~May 3, 2010
Paul George Wilczek (Butch) 68, of Rangely, passed away peacefully May 3, 2010, in his sons’ home surrounded by family in Salt Lake City, Utah, after battling with cancer.
Born May 31, 1941, to Simon Peter Wilczek and Rose Margarete (Ronspiez) Wilczek in Kingfisher, Okla. The youngest of 17 children, George was raised on the family farm outside of Loyal, Okla. He was graduated from high school and served in the national guard before moving to Rangely in 1963 to work on the oil rigs, where he lost a finger and the tips of two more. May 8, 1967, he married Nona Bell Hazlewood of Rangely. They had one son together, Paul (Frog), and he had one step-daughter, Cathy. After leaving the oil rigs, Butch went to work for Centrilift/Hughes, a new submersible pump company out of Tulsa, Okla., that was opening their doors in Rangely, where he worked for the next 14 years. Downsizing operations around 1986, George returned to roustabout work in the oil field, until becoming a mechanic for Chevron through various contractors for the next 17 years. George retired from Key Energy in August 2005.
A member of St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Rangely, Butch enjoyed being and working outdoors, raising his garden, spending time with all his many loved nephews, nieces and in-laws. His father-in-law Bernard’s summer range on Roan Plateau outside of Rangely was his all-time favorite – rustic living surrounded by family.
He is survived by his loving wife Nona of Rangely; sisters Irene, Rosella, Florence and Alice; sister-in-law Barbara of Oklahoma; son Paul (Frog) of Salt Lake City; step-daughter Cathy of Rangely; grandsons Micah and Gavin; step-granddaughters Marie and Alexis and numerous nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Lawrence, Edward, Simon, Raymond, Louis, Ernest, Joseph and Charles and sisters Mary, Agness and Evelyn.
