Joseph Francis Rychnovsky

Joseph Francis Rychnovsky, 49, passed away on July 20, 2017 at his home in Toledo after a courageous and heroic battle with cancer. Joe was born on January 18, 1968 in Great Lakes, Ill., to Francis and Joyce Rychnovsky. He grew up in Moberly, a small Missouri town just north of Columbia where his late father had a dental practice. Joe was a graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in broadcasting and spent his career working in both television and radio. He worked in markets in Missouri, Wisconsin, Florida and Nebraska before coming to Ohio about 17 years ago. In 1999 he started locally with WTOL-Channel 11, and a short time later debuted his “Hey Joe, Try This! segments, which became a viewer favorite, and a Sweeps Week bonus. Joe later worked for the local FOX affiliate WUPW-Channel 36, and most recently covered a wide range of assignments for BCSN. To those who knew him, Joe was much more than a broadcaster. He was one of those rare individuals who always made everyone he talked to feel like they were the most important subject on that evening’s news. His charm, that twinkle in his eye and his engaging personality put his subjects on a pedestal. Joe could make fifth grade CYO volleyball players feel like Olympians. He had a unique story-telling skill and could make sports stories interesting for the whole audience. As he would often tell it, Joe’s life received a significant upgrade in 2005 when, on an assignment at a local golf instructional facility, he met Janet Flack, an LPGA teaching pro from Toledo. After Joe persisted with the requests, Janet accepted a first date with him that included a round of golf at Brandywine Country Club and a Mud Hens game. Additionally, he wooed her with one of Janet’s favorites, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Janet and Joe were inseparable from that day forward, marrying in 2006. Joe is preceded in death by his father, Francis. He is survived by his wife, Janet (Flack); mother, Joyce; sister, Mary Dianne; brother, Tom (Alisha); nephew, Jack; niece, Natalia; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. Friends may visit at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Avenue, on Tuesday, July 25, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Holy Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m., with a sharing of memories and stories following. There will also be visitation from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 26, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 2255 Central Grove Ave., with a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Joe will be buried later in Missouri. A memorial fund is being set up in Joe’s name at BCSN.