Thomas Piasecki Biography

Thomas R. PIASECKI was born 14 Dec 1917 in Cicero, Cook County, Illinois, son of John and Mae (DOLECKI) PIASECKI.

4th of July 1922
Top Row: John LaVigna, Jack Piasecki, Mary Lasczewski Dolecki LaVigna
Middle Row: Tom Piasecki, Mae Dolecki Piasecki, Bessie Dolecki Langner, Marie Langner
Bottom Row babies: Jim Piasecki, Ray Langner

1926
Herb Langner, Jim Piasecki, Tom Piasecki, Ray Langner

Single, with two years of college and working as a salesman, he enlisted in the Air Corps on 06 May 1942, in Chicago.

"In 1942 or 43, Tom was a pilot-in-training. Only one week before he was to get his wings, he buzzed the tower. It was against the rules, and there was a Colonel in the tower at the time. The Colonel got very angry and immediately, that day, sent Tom to an infantry training camp in Mississippi. After a couple of weeks, he was transferred to San Francisco. His mother, Mae, took a bunch of trains to see him before he went overseas to New Guinea as a private." [*HJL]

"Tom was in Australia area. He got into the weather, meteorology, and intelligence, based in New Guinea. After several months they were looking for more officer school candidates. He took the exam and he got to be Second Lt. in Meteorology and Intelligence section. He flew on several flights, 8-12, I suppose, as the extra man on board to look for other planes and what have you. He stayed in New Guinea about two and a half to three years until the war ended. He was a First Lt. when the war ended." [*HJL]

"Tommy was tall and handsome. Tom and Ray got along well. When he was going out with Lil, she was an outsider too so we had something in common. I liked her, she was real nice. We used to go out with them. When Tom came back from the war, he worked for an airline at Midway for a while, then he became a salesman for National Register Company." [*KPL]

"Of course, he broke up with Lil. He married Laurie. She was family approved. She drove me crazy with 'my sister the nun' which was all I ever heard out of her." [*KPL]

24 May 1947
Front Row, Right to Left: Unknown, Marie & Harry Pietrzak, Jenny & Herb Langner
2nd Row, behind them, Left to Right: Tom Piasecki & Lil Allan, Kay & Ray Langner, Unknown

1949 Jul 02
Thomas R. PIASECKI
married
Loretta B. BLAZEJAK

Thomas R. PIASECKI married Loretta B. BLAZEJAK on 02 Jul 1949, in Cook County, Illinois. Laurie and Tom had two children, Richard (1953) and Kathy (1958).

"Tom traveled a lot and went to many business-related social meetings. He started drinking and became an alcoholic." [*KPL]

"His mother had a painful protracted death. Tommy took to drinking and visited her grave daily." [*ML]

"Around 1965, Tom’s face and body were badly burned in a fire. Half of his ear was burnt off. The doctors grafted a patch of skin to his forehead. We think the fire was from falling asleep with a cigarette. After he woke up, he fell down a flight of stairs. He was never quite the same after that. He died about ten years later of leukemia." [*KPL]

While living at 3601 S. 59th Court, Thomas R. SANDERS died 21 Mar 1974 in Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois. He was buried in Resurrection Cemetery, Justice, Cook County, Illinois.

1920 Census
5016 W 30th Place,
Cicero, Cook County, IL

1930 Census
3205 52nd Court,
Cicero, Cook County, IL
John & Mae, John, Thomas, and James

1940 Census
5236 W 31st Street,
Cicero, Cook County, IL
John & May D., John Jr., Thomas, and James

[*HJL Herbert Joseph Langner, *KPL Katharine Prevenas Langner, *ML Marty Langner]

Thomas R. PIASECKI SANDERS

1917 - 1974