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Chicago Fire Department Lt. Jan Tchoryk’s life was “all about service,” colleagues remembered at his funeral Thursday.
Tchoryk, 55, was one of two CFD members who died on the job last week.
A procession arrived shortly before 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Ukrainian Church, 5000 N. Cumberland Ave., carrying Tchoryk’s body in a flag-draped casket atop a fire engine.
Tchoryk died April 5 while battling an extra-alarm blaze in a Gold Coast high-rise building. His cause of death was determined to be hypertensive-arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Bagpipers and drummers followed closely behind Tchoryk’s casket as it was lowered from the fire engine and carried into the church.
When CFD Chaplain Bill McFarlane first heard about Tchoryk’s death, he went to Facebook to find Tchoryk’s always positive posts.
“He liked to post on Facebook and finished most of his posts ‘be positive,’” McFarlane said. “When looking at his Facebook, it was easy seeing his life was all about service.”
Tchoryk was an outdoorsman and a Navy veteran who served in Desert Storm. He had a big family that included a son who recently joined the Chicago Police Department.
Tchoryk loved to fish and smoke cigars, McFarlane said. He also had an affinity for sipping Johnny Walker whiskey and took pride in his Ukrainian heritage, McFarlane said.
CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said his colleagues called him “John.”
“John joined us first responders on countless calls across the state to help citizens and visitors of this great city,” Nance-Holt said from the pulpit.
“He continued that cause until the end, running into a high-rise to be of service that morning.”
She then asked the mourners gathered to give a round of applause.
The body of Chicago Fire Lt. Jan Tchoryk arrives in a procession for his funeral Thursday at St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church on the Northwest Side.
Attending were Tchoryk’s wife, Natalia Kavkun; his mother, Olga; his son, Dylan; two daughters, Olivia and Grace; and his stepdaughter, Olena Kavkun.
Officials at the church included Chicago first lady Amy Eshleman, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson and Alderpersons Nicholas Sposato (38th) and Ed Burke (14th).
Interment for the 26-year department veteran will follow immediately at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Cemetery, 8851 W. Higgins Ave.
The day before Tchoryk died, firefighter Jermaine Pelt died working to put out a house fire in West Pullman. Pelt’s funeral is scheduled for Friday.
Chicago Fire Department personnel salute as pallbearers for Lt. Jan Tchoryk carry his casket into the funeral Thursday at St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church on the Northwest Side.
Chicago Fire Department personnel salute as pallbearers carry Lt. Jan Tchoryk’s casket into the funeral Thursday at St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Family members watch Thursday as pallbearers carry Chicago Fire Lt. Jan Tchoryk’s casket into St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church.
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