Coffeehouse memorial held for Westgate's 'Walking John'

John Paryski, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young man, had for years wandered the businesses in the Westgate area. He was a fixture at Biggby Coffee in Cricket West, where friends gathered yesterday to share stories. 'Walking John' died on Feb. 7.

Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade
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"Walking John" was his name on the west side of town.

To get specific, that was how John Paryski was known around Toledo's Westgate area, near the corner of West Central Avenue and Secor Road, where over time he became an enduring and endearing presence for many in the neighborhood.

"That's just the name they gave him," said friend Tom Smythe. "He was an olympic walker."

The nickname seemed well-deserved. Mr. Paryski, 59, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young adult, had for years wandered on foot every day into the shops and businesses to see old friends and make new ones - from the Dunkin' Donuts on Central over to Barney's Convenience Mart near the intersection.

The place to catch him when he wasn't on his feet was Biggby Coffee in Cricket West, a popular hangout for university students and neighbors.

Mr. Paryski's spot was the sidewalk chair closest to the front door - the best seat on the block for greeting people. He was often seen with coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. No one can remember ever seeing him wear a belt.

"It seemed like every day I was in here, he was here, and he was always talking to somebody," recalled Josh Scanes, 21, a Uni-versity of Toledo student. "He had no problem talking to someone he didn't know."

During a memorial service for Mr. Paryski yesterday inside Biggby, out-of-town relatives expressed surprise and gratitude to learn just how many people their youngest brother knew in the final decades of his life.

Alyssa Ritchey, left, Rebecca Clair, and Derek Clair look at photos during yesterday's memorial service at Biggby Coffee in Cricket West for John Paryski.

"He called me but he never told me about this," said his sister, Susan Scott, glancing around the room of more than 60 people on the coffee shop's second floor.

"I never knew about all of these people. I didn't know he had so many friends."

Mrs. Scott remarked during the service how, "It makes my heart glad to see all of you, and to know that he had a beautiful life."

Many of those friends had stories to share about Mr. Paryski's caring and altruistic nature. Jim Johns, a coffee shop regular, told how people would put money on Biggby gift cards for Mr. Paryski to use, but that Mr. Paryski insisted on spending nearly all of it on gifts for others.

"The minute he had money on the card he was trying to give coffee or food to everybody," Mr. Johns said. "He would give you the shirt off his back if you didn't stop him."

Born in 1950 to Thaddeus "Ted" Paryski and Mildred Paryski, John Paryski belonged to a distinguished Polish-American Toledo family that owned the former Paryski Publishing Co.

His grandfather, Anthony Paryski, emigrated from Poland at age 14 and worked as a potato farmer before embarking on a journalism career at newspapers in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago. He came to Toledo in 1888, founding the family's publishing company and Ameryka-Echo, a Polish-language newspaper of national circulation and influence.

Paryski Publishing grew to become the largest Polish publishing company in the country. It was sold in 1970, and went out of business two years later.

Family members said that John Paryski showed no signs of mental illness during childhood. The family's home was on Middlesex Drive in West Toledo's Old Orchard neighborhood, not far from the apartment complex where he most recently resided.

Talented in painting and photography, Mr. Paryski graduated in 1968 from Maumee Valley Country Day School, where he was captain of the tennis team. But it was during his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati that he experienced his first breakdown.

He returned home to his parents for a few years. The illness worsened, and he was in and out of institutions during the years that followed.

Marvin Jacobs, Mr. Paryski's legal guardian since 1974, administered a trust fund set up by Mr. Paryski's parents that allowed their son the means to a modest apartment and relatively independent life.

Mr. Jacobs led off yesterday's service with a quotation attributed to the Dalai Lama:

"Whether one believes in religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion."

Mr. Smythe, a good friend of Mr. Paryski's, said he found his nearly frozen body on the ground of the Barney's parking lot in the early morning of Feb. 4. Mr. Smythe informed the convenience store attendant, who then called 911. Paramedics arrived to find Mr. Paryski barely alive; his body temperature had plummeted to 74 degrees, according to Mr. Smythe.

He was rushed to Toledo Hospital. Mr. Paryski, who had been in deteriorating health and battling emphysema, died in the hospital on Sunday.

Spread over tables yesterday at the coffee shop were old photos of Mr. Paryski as a child, teenager, and adult. One of the last photos of him healthy, taken during a 1973 trip to Haiti, showed a slender young man in a brown leather jacket with long silky hair, standing with a camera before a mountainous valley.

Several friends and family members said yesterday that recent advances in schizophrenia medication allowed them to forge closer relationships with Mr. Paryski than had been possible before.

Jeff Traudt, owner of Jeff Traudt State Farm Agency, said that Mr. Paryski valued his friendships deeply and appreciated those who stuck by his side.

"We all know John had his issues, but he was very cognizant of the folks that did help him and was very appreciative," Mr. Traudt said.

"Every once in awhile, John would send me a handwritten card that said, 'thank you for helping me.'•"

Contact JC Reindl at:

jreindl@theblade.com

or 419-724-6065.