Longtime Manchester Mayor Ray Wieczorek died Wednesday at the age of 93.Wieczorek’s life was filled with service. From the Korean War to the corner office in Manchester to the executive council chambers in Concord, he played a significant role in the public life of his country, state and city. He led the Queen City through tough times in the 1990s, and he didn’t shy away from fights over fiscal responsibility. Pay freezes led to protests from city employees in 1996 when Wieczorek ran for Congress.”I’m not going to apologize for anything that I’ve tried to do, because I’ve tried to do the things that are the right things,” he said at the time.The man known as “the Wiz” had a vision for the future of downtown Manchester, pushing for the construction of a civic center everyone knows now as SNHU Arena.Wieczorek was also a key figure in Republican Party politics, becoming a mentor to several generations of GOP leaders, including a fellow executive councilor, Chris Sununu, whom he endorsed for governor in a crowded primary field in 2016. “Ray Wieczorek served with a smile,” Sununu said in a written statement. “As mayor of Manchester and as an executive councilor, Ray took the time to listen and connect with his constituents one on one. He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire many for decades to come. But most importantly, Ray was my friend. Always there and never wavering. Valerie and I will miss him dearly.”In a common theme in the tributes that rolled in since he died, Wieczorek was regarded as uniquely loyal in the world of politics.”If you had a friend in Ray Wieczorek, you had a friend for life,” said friend Ovide Lamontagne.Lamontagne said the impact of Wieczorek’s leadership on Manchester and New Hampshire cannot be understated.”Ray Wieczorek was a lion,” Lamontagne said. “He had such personality. He was positive. He put ‘public’ into public service.”
Longtime Manchester Mayor Ray Wieczorek died Wednesday at the age of 93.
Wieczorek’s life was filled with service. From the Korean War to the corner office in Manchester to the executive council chambers in Concord, he played a significant role in the public life of his country, state and city.
He led the Queen City through tough times in the 1990s, and he didn’t shy away from fights over fiscal responsibility. Pay freezes led to protests from city employees in 1996 when Wieczorek ran for Congress.
“I’m not going to apologize for anything that I’ve tried to do, because I’ve tried to do the things that are the right things,” he said at the time.
The man known as “the Wiz” had a vision for the future of downtown Manchester, pushing for the construction of a civic center everyone knows now as SNHU Arena.
Wieczorek was also a key figure in Republican Party politics, becoming a mentor to several generations of GOP leaders, including a fellow executive councilor, Chris Sununu, whom he endorsed for governor in a crowded primary field in 2016.
“Ray Wieczorek served with a smile,” Sununu said in a written statement. “As mayor of Manchester and as an executive councilor, Ray took the time to listen and connect with his constituents one on one. He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire many for decades to come. But most importantly, Ray was my friend. Always there and never wavering. Valerie and I will miss him dearly.”
In a common theme in the tributes that rolled in since he died, Wieczorek was regarded as uniquely loyal in the world of politics.
“If you had a friend in Ray Wieczorek, you had a friend for life,” said friend Ovide Lamontagne.
Lamontagne said the impact of Wieczorek’s leadership on Manchester and New Hampshire cannot be understated.
“Ray Wieczorek was a lion,” Lamontagne said. “He had such personality. He was positive. He put ‘public’ into public service.”
