John Bligh
- Retired school secretary
Ann Pychewicz, a longtime school secretary and dedicated unionist, died Dec. 4, 2023, at the age of 84. The cause was a stroke.
Ann, who was born in Brooklyn but lived in Staten Island as an adult, began her career in Brooklyn’s District 14 office in her 30s, after staying home to care for her three children. She then became a school secretary, first at PS 132 in Brooklyn and then at PS 26 on Staten Island, where she remained until her retirement in 2001.
Her daughter, Robin Marino, said she enjoyed the community aspect of working in the school system. “She loved kids and she loved working in a school,” Marino said. “They were neighborhood schools, so she got to know the families. She had good relationships with the administration, the teachers and the students.”
Ann was married to Richard Pychewicz for 60 years. “She was a wonderful mother and grandmother,” said Marino. Ann and Richard both worked for the city and often spoke about how much they valued the steadiness and benefits that came along with a union job. Marino, a retired city worker, said her mother was an active member in the School Secretaries Chapter and frequently attended its events and luncheons.
Ann and Richard, who predeceased her by three years, spent summers at their second home in Ocean City, Maryland. At the time of her death, Ann was living in East Brunswick, New Jersey, but still went to Ocean City when her children were available to drive her. “She loved everything about the beach,” said Marino. “The beach, the shopping, the casinos, everything.”
She is survived by her daughters, Robin Marino and Francine Silvester; her son, Rick Pychewicz; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Condolences can be sent to:
Robin Marino
39 Monaghan Rd.
Edison, NJ 08817
