Chester Joseph Stachecki, Jr.

Chester Joseph Stachecki, Jr., age 84, of Dover, DE, passed away peacefully on February 29, 2024. Chet was born in 1939 to Chester and Adelaide Stachecki on Long Island, NY. His family moved to Smyrna, DE to grow potatoes. Chet attended local schools and graduated from Smyrna High School in 1958. At the University of Delaware, he joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in 1962. An avid runner, Chet ran track and cross country.

He met Mary Julia Jablonski at UD and the couple married in 1962. A few years later, they moved to Milford, DE where they raised their two daughters. Chet worked for the State of Delaware for more than 37 years. He enthusiastically managed the Mosquito Control Section within the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, primarily working out of the Milford office. He was active in many regional mosquito control organizations. Chet always enjoyed being outside, whether on the marsh, hiking though woodlands and meadows, or walking on the beach.

With his agricultural knowledge, Chet maintained a large vegetable garden. At their McCauley Pond home, he tended a woodland garden and took pride in his azaleas and rhododendrons. Chet's other hobbies were woodcarving, hunting, arrowhead hunting, muskrat trapping, wine making, and assisting local farmers with problematic groundhogs. Chet was a faithful parishioner of St. John the Apostle Church in Milford, where he and Mary served as Eucharistic Ministers. He was a member of the Delaware Nature Education Society and served on its Board of Directors. He valued preserving special places and was a member of the Milford Historical Society and the Milford Museum. Chet enjoyed taking his grandchildren to local museums, parks, and wildlands and cheering them on at their games and events. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Adelbert Stachecki. 

Chet is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Mary J. Stachecki; and their daughters, Donna Sharp (Phil) of Felton, DE and Sharon Conslato (Paul) of Lancaster, PA. He will be sadly missed by four grandchildren: Lindsey, Brian, and Lauren Sharp; and Claire Conslato. He is also survived by a sister, Carole Johnson of Rock Falls, IL; and two brothers: Thomas Stachecki of Southampton, NY; Raymond Stachecki of Smyrna, DE; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A viewing for family and friends will be held March 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Lofland Funeral Home, 102 Lakeview Avenue, Milford, DE. At noon, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. John the Apostle Church, 506 Seabury Avenue, Milford, DE 19963. Interment will follow in the Milford Community Cemetery on Rt. 113, Milford. To honor Chet's memory, the family suggests planting an azalea; or making a donation to St. John the Apostle Church or the Delaware Nature Society. Letters of condolence may be shared with the family at www.loflandandmcknatt.com.

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