'Forever Loved:' Son Mourns NJ Couple Who Died In New Year's Fire

BUTLER, NJ - Anna and Richard Ryczek met by accident and soon became inseparable. Well-educated, hardworking and devoted to their son, Peter. They died together in a house fire on New Year's Eve at their home in Butler.

The couple was killed in the fire that ripped through the Myrtle Avenue home on Dec. 31, prosecutors said. The fatal blaze happened around 4:54 p.m. on New Year's Eve when firefighters were first notified, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. The residence was heavily damaged as a result of the blaze.

"She was a smart, caring, sensitive, loving mother and wife. He was a mathematician, philosopher and a brilliant mind," Peter Ryczek said of his parents. "Both were artists. Both were my closest friends. Both loved me unconditionally. I will forever love them."

According to Peter Ryczek, his Polish parents love story began by accident.

"My mother was heading on over to a Friday night formal at a University, and ended up at the wrong school. There she met my father, and there their lives intertwined," Ryczek said. "They both received Master's degrees, my dad in mechanical engineering from the Gdansk University of Technology, my mom in fine arts from the Gdansk School of Fine Arts. They got married and nine months later I was born."

Ryczek said his father was the first to immigrate to America, after the Solidarity strikes in Poland, and the following martial law instituted in December of '81.

"There he waited for us to come to the USA legally. The process took 5 years. By then he bought a house in Butler," Ryczek said. "As he said, he drew a circle around New York City within an hour's commute distance. Butler was at the edge of that circle."

According to Ryczek his father rebuilt the house from the inside out and while he did so he commuted to NYC in the morning, where he worked at an architectural design firm on 5th avenue in NYC. After he came home on the NJ Transit bus #194 he would then work until late at night replacing the drywall, painting, doing woodwork.

"My mom and me came to the USA in May of 1986. Together, the three of us then finished the interior, with my mom painting the walls and staining the woodwork. My father, with the help of his brother Andrew, built a custom deck, a custom kitchen, a bathroom addition," Ryczek said. "My mom filled the house with flowers and paintings. The result was a home rebuilt and sculpted by hand. The years at Butler High School were four of the best years of my life. All the students and teachers were very welcoming and just amazing."

Even after moving away, Ryczek said he still spent as much time with his parents as he could, at least two times a month.

"My parents would make a lavish breakfast, and a great lunch," he said. "We would spend time together, relaxing, watching TV, and helping each other with the facts of life."

Ryczek said as time went on his parents were looking for a place to retire, but kept the circle close to Butler and nearby towns. Ryczek said that the plan was for them to move from the house in the upcoming spring.

"One of the things my father told me a few years ago, when I was looking for advice, and which will resonate with me for the rest of my life, was 'don't worry, we'll always be together and survive anything,'" he said. "Those words helped me through many tough times."

A visitation and service is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday. at the Morrison Funeral Home, 86 Bartholdi Ave. Ryczek asked that anyone looking to make a donation, to do so to a local fire, rescue or police department.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.