John W. Gadwa

In loving memory of John W. "Will(ie)" Gadwa of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, who passed away on November 7, 2023 with family by his side. He was 94. Will was a reserved, kind, humble man with a mischievous sense of humor. Unbeknownst to everyone, he received a bronze star for his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean war. Will was also a former SCCA Formula 3 racer (mid-50's-60's), sail-boater, skier and hiker. He enjoyed poetry, especially haikus and liked art and history too. He never owned a TV and was a voracious reader with a lifelong love for all things science, engineering and building/flying model airplanes. Will was born October 16, 1929 in Chicago, IL to Howard T. and Joanna (Hubicka) Gadwa. He was survived by his sisters Jeanine "Woody" Collins and Landy Sykes. His parents and sister Lenore "Bootsy" Lerch predeceased him. Will was raised in Washington, DC and Riverdale, MD. He attended Immaculate Conception Parochial School, where he was a choir boy, and Gonzaga College High School. He left Riverdale for New Jersey at age 34 to further pursue his 50+ year career in the automotive industry with VW and later BMW. Family and friends are invited to a graveside service on September 27, 2025 at 11 a.m. in Fort Lincoln Cemetery, 3401 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood, MD 20722. Please gather in front of the cemetery front office for a procession to the Gadwa family plot. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org.