Obituary of Walter P. Wojciechowski

Walter P. Wojciechowski, 86, of Manalapan Township, passed away peacefully at his home on January 8th.

Walt lived a full life marked by a rewarding career and love and devotion to his family. He was a kind and gentle man, a “good egg,” beloved by everyone he met.

Walt was born and raised in Perth Amboy, N.J., graduating from Perth Amboy High School. He continued his studies at Rutgers University and earned a degree in Industrial Design from Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art.

It was in Perth Amboy that he met the love of his life, Patricia Jean Jurski, who he would later marry. They first “met” when their mothers were pushing baby Walt and baby Patsy in their carriages – and Walt’s mom predicted that the babies would get married! Walt and Pat were reunited in 5^th grade, began dating in high school, were married in 1961 and started their life in Hazlet Township.

Walt was the definition of “the self-made man.” He put himself through Newark School of Fine Arts and Engineering while working in his future father-in-law’s store, Jurski’s Formal Wear (a dry cleaners, tailoring and tuxedo shop) in Perth Amboy.

Walt was an accomplished and awarded point of purchase display designer and salesman. He worked at CCA (Container Corp of America); Schiffenhaus Packaging, Newark; and Altwell, Totowa; and others before establishing his own business, Display Works, Inc., in 1993. His clients included industry giants such as:  Chesebrough-Ponds, McCormick Spices, Ward Candies and his proudest – Johnson & Johnson. Walt joked that Vaseline, Q-tips, and baby products put his kids through college. During his career, he received three awards from the Point-of-Purchase Advertising Institute (POPAI) for his designs. He was awarded a US Patent in 1967 for a “Collapsible Automatically Set Up Display Container” which revolutionized the industry, allowing for quick and fool-proof set up for point of purchase displays in commercial settings.  Because of that patent, he would often test his wife’s patience when walking through stores and stopping to critically examine (and sometimes reassemble!) the product displays.

He could fix anything. In fact, with his design background and work experience in tailoring and alterations, Walt could hem any item in a flash and was even known, in emergency situations, to redesign garments when necessary.

Walt was passionate about his meticulously maintained automobiles, keeping the details of all 46 in a little black book. He lived vicariously through his sons’ sports cars. Walt cherished his numerous Cadillacs, especially his three Allantés and was a member of the Allanté Club of America. 

He was a perfectionist, carefully designing his landscaped yard and magnificent deck. He particularly loved his hot tub. He enjoyed taking his family to dine at the best restaurants and would often make reservations as “Mr. Wart” or “Ognir” (“Ringo” backwards) rather than Wojciechowski. He could appreciate a well-cooked hot dog as much as a fancy steak.

Walt was a parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy and St. Thomas More Catholic Church where he was a long-time usher.  He also proudly served his community as a poll worker for the Monmouth County Board of Elections. 

As an only child, Walt was determined to provide his wife and three sons with all the niceties he never had growing up - a beautiful house, luxury cars, expensive clothes, college educations, but most importantly, a loving, caring home.

Walt leaves behind his loving wife of 62 years Patricia, his sons & daughter-in-laws: Michael & Maria, Freehold; David & Ena, Poughkeepsie, NY; and Robert & Katie, South Orange; as well as six grandchildren: Thomas, Joseph, Katherine, James, Liam & Henry.

A memorial gathering will be held at Clayton and McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his 10:00 AM memorial mass on Wednesday, January 17, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 58 Main Street, Englishtown.  Interment will be private.

For those who desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad, PO Box 294, Manalapan, NJ 07726 or HERE. For information directions or condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.