Paul Psik never turned down a job. A lifelong laborer who had a natural ability for building and repairing things, his favorite task was helping someone in need. If a neighbor’s car broke down, he was there to fix it. If a friend needed a warm meal, he set an extra place at the table.
“He had an open heart and an open house. He took in all strays,” said his son Edward. “He was just a worker bee for everyone around him so that everyone else had a better life.”
Mr. Psik, a retired carpenter and body repairman for the Chicago Transit Authority, died of cerebrovascular disease Thursday, July 13 at his home in the West Beverly neighborhood. He was 86.
The son of Czechoslovakian immigrants, Mr. Psik was born in Chicago. As a young man, he worked as a delivery boy for the family grocery store at 73rd and State Streets, an area that is now part of the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Mr. Psik was drafted into the Army in 1942. He served during World War II, including battles at Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe, family members said. His infantry unit engaged in the Battle of the Bulge and was the first unit at the site of the death camps at Auschwitz following the liberation of Germany, they said.
Mr. Psik’s children said he didn’t talk much about his war service. In fact, he didn’t make a habit of talking about himself.
“He was a strong man of a few words. He always instilled in us that you don’t need to talk about yourself,” his son said. “[He said] what you do and how you treat people will far supercede what you say about yourself.”
After he was discharged in 1945, Mr. Psik went back to work in the store. Shortly thereafter, he married Dotty Brennan and they settled into the home in West Beverly that his parents built in 1939. He lived in that home his entire life.
In the 1960s, the family store took a downturn due in part to competition from the supermarket giants. When it closed, Mr. Psik, then about 40, went to work at several construction companies before going to work for the CTA. For 20 years he repaired major damage on buses, including body and fender work. He was a former member of Carpenters Union Local 1027.
“He was a good craftsman. There was only one way and that was the right way. He was very particular,” said his son Martin.
In addition to his work, Mr. Psik was a founding member of St. John Fisher Catholic Parish in Chicago. He also was a coach in the Ridge-Beverly Little League and a member of the parish’s men’s bowling league.
Martin Psik said his father was a hardworking man who didn’t believe in giving up no matter the circumstances. He said people like his dad are “quiet heroes” in their neighborhoods.
“They do their jobs and help the community. They are just always there and you can always count on them if you need something,” he said. “They don’t have plaques and awards hanging on the wall. They are just another brick in the wall. But the wall counts.”
In addition to sons Edward and Martin, other survivors include another son, John; daughters Kathy Dinnerville and Barbara Cusack; and 11 grandchildren.
Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John Fisher Church, 10234 S. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Worth.
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