Joseph J. Zyrkowski, 89, of Barrington and Herbster, Wis., a business representative for the former Patternmakers League of North America in Chicago, died Monday in Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge.
Mr. Zyrkowski rose from an apprentice to become a high-ranking official with the union for technical specialists who make master patterns for the casting industry.
Mr. Zyrkowski was secretary-treasurer of the union’s nine-state Midwestern District 4 from 1960 until his retirement in 1973. The Patternmakers League merged with the International Machinists Union in 1991.
Mr. Zyrkowski, along with his predecessor, was instrumental from 1943 to 1960 in establishing the National Pattern Makers pension Trust Fund, in 1958.
“Joe was a union member for 69 years,” said Frank McLaughlin, current business representative of the Patternmakers Union. “He was very involved. He was at our Christmas party last year and gave a speech. He was fantastic.”
John Damas, secretary-general of the Patternmakers pension fund, and a friend of Mr. Zyrkowski’s for more than 40 years, said, “He was an apprentice pattern-maker in the 1930s and immediately became involved in the union.
“He negotiated for the members with International Harvester, GM, John Deere, and other companies.
“He was highly regarded by management, as well as union members, for his innovative bargaining techniques. He’d ask all parties to sit down and negotiate in the days before grievance procedures existed.”
Damas said Mr. Zyrkowski was asked by the government to serve on the War Production Board in the 1940s.
His daughter Dianna Epiney said, “He adored his grandchildren. They all called him before he died. He knew them all and spoke to them all.”
Other survivors include a daughter, Barbara Alvarez; a son, William; three brothers, Henry, Frank and Richard; and three sisters, Stephanie, Ann, and Frances; 17 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday in Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights. Services will be held in Wisconsin.
