T.J. Iwanski is a member of the Jesuit Dallas Class of 1962. He is the brother of Tony Iwanski '66 (deceased). Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.
Thaddeus John "T.J." Iwanski Jr. '62 Thaddeus John Iwanski Jr. (or T.J. as he was known to many) was born September 21, 1944 to Ted and Mary Iwanski in Denison, Texas and passed away on Tuesday morning, May 12, 2020 at the age of 75. He is survived by his brother Paul and his wife Laura Schaeffer, sister Charlotte and her husband Dale Williams, and brother Stephen and his husband, Daniel Sanchez, daughter Sjon Iwanski and granddaughter Durea Blu, nephew Jesse Iwanski, niece Rachel Iwanski, and nephew James Harding. John is preceded in death by both his parents and his brothers James and Anthony (Tony). John was a person who resisted following rules and the expectations of others for much of his life. Instead he made his own rules and followed his own path. He chose to pursue adventures and choices some people only dream of doing. He ran off to California in the tumultuous 60's, returned years later and worked for the Dallas Zoo, became a Dallas firefighter and dedicated 25 years of his life to "saving lives" as our mother often boasted, eventually retiring from the Department in 2000. He was a member of one of the initial expedition teams for the Big Bend Ranch State Park. In 2001 he embarked on hiking all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine and conquered it at the age of 59! He made dozens of trail friends and was proudly known as "Texas Jack". There will be a small memorial service held on Saturday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel, 1600 S. Garland Ave, Garland, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made to the Appalachian Trail Museum, 1120 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17326. www.atmuseum.org Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas |