An Extraordinary Life: Joliet Slammers fan was ‘ultimate mentor to so many kids’

Last summer Most Rev. Ronald Hicks, bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, celebrated the funeral Mass of a former teacher, Richard Jaworowksi of Indiana.

Hicks had attended the former St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School in South Holland, where Richard had taught for most of his career. Hicks called it a “privilege” to celebrate Jaworowski’s funeral Mass, which was very well attended, he said.

“Frankly, it didn’t surprise me,” Hicks said. “He left a mark on people. He was legendary as a teacher. As a student, you felt happy and privileged to have him. He loved social studies and he took an interest in the students. And then as an adult, you noticed the reason he did all these things: he lived a life of faith. He saw his work as a teacher as, not only a sacrifice within the school system, but also as a vocation…he lived his life unselfishly.”

Vocation

Richard taught school in the Archdiocese of Chicago for more than 40 years, mostly at St. Jude, but also at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Homewood. His students called him “Mr. J.” Richard retired in 2007.

But Richard was also known as “Coach J” to the students at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, where Richard coached boys basketball for most of the 1980s. Although he never lived in Joliet, he especially loved Joliet Slammers games and hoped to treat all his grandchildren to a game, according to his daughter, Janet Palkon of Joliet.

Unfortunately, Richard, 78, died suddenly on June 30, 2021 – Palkon’s birthday – and never realized his dream. So Palkon Parties, which Janet owns with her husband Bob, is collaborating with the Joliet Slammers during the 1:05 p.m. game on July 31.

Janet and Bob have served as foster parents, have adopted two children and consistently host events through Palkon Parties to benefit foster children, even during Janet’s fight with triple negative breast cancer during the pandemic.

On July 31, ticket holders can hand-stuff a toy animal, which will be donated to local charities that servce children. She’s hoping 1,700 animals get stuffed at the Joliet Slammers event.

“Baseball was my dad’s favorite sport,” Janet said. “Baseball was such a big part of our lives.”

Ironically, not one of Bob’s three daughters gravitated toward sports, Janet said.

“I was the closest to an athlete and I had two left feet,” Janet said.

But Janet did receive an award for “most sportsmanship” from her father when he was her coach, she said. But then, Richard always found something to praise in all his students, especially “those who needed to hear it the most,” she said.

Richard also worked “two or three” jobs most of his life, Janet said. These included ice cream truck vendor, park district camp director, real estate broker, high school junior varsity basketball coach and parking lot supervisor with Standard Parking as a parking lot supervisor, where Richard help park cars for many events in Chicago, especially White Sox games, Janet said.

Impact

Tony Dolci of Lockport first met “Coach J” when he was 14 and a basketball player at Marian Catholic. Coach J’s focus was not about basketball. It “succeeding in life,” he said.

Dolci said Coach J was very passionate about “the way you carried yourself” in game situations, and letting players know “he expected more” if they didn’t reflect the values of their faith.

“He was just a man of integrity,” Dolci said. “It was not about us winning; it wasn’t about the game. He was a very religious man and it was all about winning the moment. It wasn’t about if we won or lost or what happened on the court. He was just a guy who wanted us to do the right things all the time, no matter what the situation was. You could have a great game and he could be so upset if we didn’t act right, if you didn’t show our Christian – Catholic – values.”

Kelly O’Rourke of Texas had “Mr. J” as a teacher at St. Jude and then as a coach at Marian Catholic. He said Richard was “firm but fair” and was “funny and kind of sarcastic in a witty type of way” with a “wry smile,” a bit of half grin.

“He held you to a high standard and made sure you held yourself to that standard,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke recalled the night “Mr. J” gave him a ride home from practice and was pulled over for speeding. Richard insisted he was in a hurry to get O’Rourke home to study for final exams.

“The cop looked at us and said, ‘Good man. Take care. Godspeed,’” O’Rourke said.

Richard’s grandson Michael Biegel of Indiana is one grandchild who actually did attend Slammers games with Richard. They also watched a number of Illinois state championship games on the same field because a former student of Richard’s was a coach for one of the schools, Biegel said.

“We went about six or seven years in a row to watch the games,” Biegel said.

Biegel recalled Richard throwing a whiffle ball off the porch for Biegel to hit when Biegel was really young and attending most of his Little League games. A favorite memory from 2018 was sitting on a couch with Richard, and a Teddy Bear in a jersey, watching a New York Yankees game, Biegel said.

However, Biegel feels Richard’s legacy reaches beyond teaching and sports. He recalled meeting a young man at Richard’s funeral who “had become part of the juvenile system.”

“When someone asked him who was the most influential male in his life, he said it was my grandpa,” Biegel said.

Aaron Jaworowski of Missouri, Richard’s nephew and owner/president of the Rawlings Tigers Baseball Club in Missouri, said Richard was genuinely interested in sports, school and teams and impacted many people because of it.

“He was just the ultimate mentor to so many kids that he taught,” Aaron said.

Even Hicks.

“Throughout my entire journey of a young man considering, ‘Should I enter the seminary? Should I become a priest?’ He was always there with his support and encouragement,” Hicks said. “Once I was ordained, every opportunity he had to attend Mass, if I was back at St. Jude, he’d be there. And he’d want a photo with me.”

Hicks said that the message Richard ultimately gave the people in his care was, “Hey, you’re doing something good. And I’m proud of you.”

“When I became a bishop, he was beaming and proud and shared in the celebration in the moment,” Hicks said. “And I was happy to share it with him, also.”

Hicks, however, never did attend a Slammers game with Richard, although he’s attended games with friends and hopes to do so again.

“And I’ll be thinking of Mr. J also,” Hicks said.

For information on “Knocking it out of the Park…one Bear at a time!”, visit the Palkon Parties Facebook page.

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.