Raymond Joseph Wieczorek (December 9, 1928 – November 22, 2022) was an American businessman and politician from Manchester, New Hampshire. A Republican, he was mayor of the city from 1990 to 2000, and represented District 4 on the

Executive Council of New Hampshire The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (commonly known as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor ...

from 2002 to 2012.

Career

Wieczorek was the director and president of the Manchester Scholarship Foundation between 1973 and 1976. He became commissioner of the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority in 1984, and was its chairman from 1986 to 1989. He served five terms as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Manchester in the 1990s. He won his first term in 1989 when he defeated incumbent Democrat

Emile Beaulieu Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (April 2, 1931 – December 30, 2016) was an American politician who served two nonconsecutive terms as the Mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, from 1982 until 1983 and again from 1988 until 1989. Biography Early and p ...

, who was seeking re-election. Wieczorek was defeated in the 1999 election by his Democratic challenger,

Robert A. Baines Robert A. Baines (born 1946) is a former mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. He served in that office from 2000 to 2006. A Democrat, he was first elected in November 1999, defeating incumbent Republican Raymond Wieczorek. Manchester mayoral electi ...

. Wieczorek ran for Council to replace Republican Thomas Colantuono, who had resigned after being appointed United States Attorney for New Hampshire. Wieczorek defeated the Democratic nominee, state Rep. John Kacavas, and was elected to the Council in 2002. He is best known for the redevelopment of the Amoskeag Millyard, the development of the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the conversion of the city budget to fiscal year from a calendar year, and the creation of a downtown Manchester civic center. The access road to the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport,

Raymond Wieczorek Drive Raymond Wieczorek Drive (RW Drive) is a road in Bedford, New Hampshire, Bedford, Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester, and Londonderry, New Hampshire, Londonderry, New Hampshire, connecting the Everett Turnpike to the Manchester–Boston Regio ...

, is named after him.

Personal life and death

Wieczorek was a

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

and

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or a ...

, and owner of the Wieczorek Insurance Agency. He was married twice, first to Catherine Connare and then to Susan Kramas, who died in 2008. He had three children. In 2001, Wieczorek was awarded an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Doctor of Law from New Hampshire College (now

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with national accreditation for some hospitali ...

). Wieczorek died at

Catholic Medical Center Catholic Medical Center (CMC) is a 330-licensed bed (with 258 beds staffed) not-for-profit full-service acute care hospital located in the West Side area of Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. CMC offers medical-surgical care with more than 2 ...

in Manchester on November 22, 2022, aged 93, after a period of declining health.

References

External links

Campaign website

1928 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians American businesspeople in insurance Businesspeople from New Hampshire Mayors of Manchester, New Hampshire Members of the Executive Council of New Hampshire Military personnel from Connecticut New Hampshire Republicans Politicians from New Britain, Connecticut Southern New Hampshire University alumni United States Army personnel of the Korean War {{NewHampshire-mayor-stub