John Peschek

Obituary John J Peschek of Tacoma, Wa. Loving husband of over sixty years, died on June 17, 2019 at the age of 83. John was born August 10, 1935 in David City Nebraska. He traveled by train with his family at age five to Tacoma, before settling in Fife Washington. He attended Catholic grade school, Bellarmine Preparatory HS, (class of 53') graduating from Seattle University in 1959. He was a longtime member at St. Charles Borromeo Parish. John possessed an enviable work ethic, peddling newspapers, toiling in the fields of Fife and working on commercial fishing boats to pay for tuition & supporting his hot rod hobby. John married the love of his life, Vivian in 1958. They raised five children, instilling strong values of loyalty, faith, and enjoying life together. John had a long and highly successful career in the hospital financial field. John began as a staff accountant at Group Health before moving on in 1962 to become the controller at Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton, WA. His next step was as the Director of Finance at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma where he remained until 1969 when he co-founded Medical Reimbursement Advisors. "MRA" became one of the nation's largest and most successful reimbursement consulting firms and remained so for many years. John retired from MRA in 1996 and stayed active as a Healthcare Consultant. Never one to remain idle, in 2001 John helped with the start up another hospital based consulting firm "DSH Recovery Services" where he remained active as treasurer and mentor until his passing. Passionate about music, he sang in high school choral groups, weddings and funerals during college and continued in his church choir. He and Vivian loved attending musicals, operas, and the ballet. John was a global traveler, story teller, avid gardener, NASCAR enthusiastic, Seahawk & Mariner fan. He lived life to the hilt, socializing and dining out. John could relate to anyone he met and "worked the room" of any social gathering. He selflessly helped others and volunteered in the Tacoma Retirement Community. He loved to plan vacations, cruises, and reunions for family and friends. John will be remembered for his keen intellect, uncompromising honesty, infinite patience, boundless sense of humor, and sincere compassion for others. He unhesitatingly claimed his greatest achievement was raising a loving family who repaid his love by rewarding him with the best grandchildren he could have ever hoped for. He is predeceased by parents, Walter and Magdalin Peschek, brother James, sister Karen (Galloway), and son Steve. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years Vivian, brothers Dennis(Julie), Paul(Marty), Joseph(Glenace), sister Mary Collier, son Mark (Mirela), daughters Michele(Carlton) Clarke, Terri(Greg) Pfeiffer, Maggie(Ed) Liming, and beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Rosary is at Bellarmine HS, St. Aloysius Chapel, on Tue. 6/25 at 7pm. Funeral Mass is at St. Charles Borromeo Wed. 6/26 at 11:00 am, reception following. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community Life Enrichment Program. Arrangements by Gaffney Funeral Home