Raymond Mlecko Obituary

Mr Mlecko was a wonderful person who shared with us the wisdom he himself had gained over the years. I fondly remember him in my daily work. May he rest in peace.

For some the purpose of life is to be useful, be honorable and to be compassionate, Mr Mlecko was all three but most of all he made a big difference in leadership for Chicago District. When I think of Chicago District I will always remember Mr. Mlecko.

I still have such gratitude for the unique knowledge and supervision that Mr Mlecko had for Public Affairs of which I still implement that knowledge into my daily life. He always acknowledged the talents, accomplishments and hard work of the Public Affairs office. He is greatly missed.

On a whim I decided to connect with my old Army buddy, Ray Mlecko, only to belatedly learn that he was no longer on this side of the veil. Ray and I both lived off post in the Waikiki area south of Honolulu and commuted the one hour north through the pineapple fields in his old Kaiser car with the slipping transmission to our post up at Schofield Barracks where we were both serving in a counterintelligence detachment. We got to know each other quite well and were good friends. We talked often about what we wanted in life post military and it looks like most all of Ray's dreams and desires, as well as my own, came true. We were both considering, among other choices, the possibility of government service and Ray found his with the FDA, while I went the CIA route for a full career. I will always remember him for his friendship, fellowship, good nature and especially his low key humor and look forward to renewing this friendship when it comes my turn to move on.

To The Mlecko family, It was a pleasure to work under Mr. Mlecko's direction and supervision. As lead Public Affairs Specialist I always worked hard for the District because it was a reflection of the pride that Mr. Mlecko felt about his employees and the District. He will always be apart of my FDA memories as the Greatest District in the world set by the example of Mr. Mlecko.

Deepest condolences, although belated, to Ray's family. I only recently learned of his passing. Ray and I worked together in Seattle FDA and I will always consider him a great mentor and friend. I am very grateful for what I learned from him during the time we worked together.

I was so sorry to hear about Ray's passing. It was only these past few summers that we met again at our class reunion luncheons and enjoyed memories of our St. Willy's days. I was happy to have met you, Yvonne. Ray was always a good guy. He will be missed I'm sure. My prayers and sympathy. Sister Alexandra Bettinardi, Manitowoc, WI and Yuma, AZ

My sincere condolences and prayers go out to the Mlecko family. His legacy lives on in the heart and memory of the many men and women who were fortunate enough to serve under his leadership during his tenure as the District Director of the FDA Chicago District Office. His work ethic and commitment to excellence as well as his support and personal investment in others will never be forgotten.

I'm sadden to hear of Mr. Mlecko's passing. I worked as a Public Affairs Officer/Specialist under the supervision of Marie Ekvall untill she became ill. Then advanced to Lead Public Affairs Specialist under the supervision of Mr. Mlecko. Mr. Mlecko was driven to make Public Affairs the very best, and therefore, he would challenge your ideas and goals constantly to make you a better leader. From his leadership we advanced greatly in Public Affairs. I appreciated his challenges as well as his ideas but most importantly I enjoyed talking to him about foods, restaurants, and travels. He will be greatly missed.