‘Joe was a great guy,’ colleagues remember La Salle County board member Witczak

La Salle County Board Member Joe Witczak (D-Peru) died Friday. Witczak, who had previously served as Peru alderman, was 60.

“Joe was a great guy,” said Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski. “He was always helping others and he will truly be missed.”

Witczak graduated from La Salle-Peru High School and owned and operated Witczak Brothers Auto Repair and Storage where he also worked as a mechanic. He had served as a Peru alderman before serving on the La Salle County Board.

“Joe and his family truly cared about the city of Peru,” said Dave Potthoff, a longtime Peru alderman who served with Witczak. “His input on the City Council was always in the best interest of the residents of Peru, that is unique in today’s politics. He was a good alderman and a good friend for the city and myself.”

It was a measure of Witczak’s likability that though he was removed from the 2022 primary ballot for La Salle County Board, he ran as a write-in and won reelection last fall with 58% of the vote.

Joe and his family truly cared about the city of Peru.

—  Dave Potthoff, former Peru alderman

As Witczak’s newest term was brief, leaving a long unexpired term, county officials were reviewing the appropriate procedure for filling his seat. A decision was expected soon.

Services for Witczak will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, in Mueller Funeral Home, Peru.