Michael Szuchnicki

Michael J. Szuchnicki, age 71, passed away Monday, August 4, 2025. He was born on February 27, 1954 to Eugene and Violet Szuchnicki. He was a life-long resident of Waukegan.
Michael attended both grade school and high school in Waukegan and graduated from Waukegan East. After graduation, he worked at Goodyear on Highway 41 and then worked for Waukegan Township for 11 years before attending the police academy in Chicago in 1990.
He then served as a Waukegan Police Officer for 25 years from 1990 to 2015. Known as "Scud" to his fellow officers, he worked in the patrol division and other units throughout his career. Rough and tumble on the outside, Michael had a special place in his heart for animals. He loved just about any fur or feathered creature.
Michael adopted several abused Doberman's and loved and cared for them for years. They were fiercely loyal to him. In his later years, he took great delight in feeding peanuts to the squirrels and birds that came to his front porch. His other passion was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle until his health declined.
In addition to his parents, Michael was preceded in death by his sister Shirley Rippentrop, his brother Robert Szuchnicki, and a brother-in-law, Roger Rippentrop.
He is survived by his two sisters, Sandra (John) Carobine and Margaret Capitani, niece Lisa Cianciolo, and nephew, Aaron Rippentrop.
Per Michael's stated wishes, there will be no visitation or service. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date.