Emmanuel Staff
"We are a church family that, welcomes, forms and sends disciples"
John Francis Chudacek: Senior Warden
John Francis Chudacek was born in August of 1954 in Norfolk, Virginia, at Norfolk General Hospital to Johnnie and Norene Chudacek. His Father was a decorated WWII veteran who volunteered at age 16 and spent 34 years in the US Navy. His Mother was a college graduate from Akron in 1935, unusual at that time in history and at a young age. He was baptized at Christ Church, Alexandria at about 1year old and of course without any recollection of the event. He started school in the finest public schools of East Orange New Jersey and came close to repeating the first grade. Continuing school at Landsdale Elementary where he came close to flunking the fourth grade in Mrs. Mitchell’s class. Fortunately, his father was transferred to Pensacola, Florida to be the Chief Master at arms for NAS Saufley Field where he then made it through the 5th to 7th grade with the gracious help of a very dedicated teacher Ms Laurie Neeb. John Graduated high school from Kempsville in Virginia Beach and went to Johns Hopkins University. God graciously allowed him to be accepted to Howard School of Dentistry but instead joined the US Navy to become a pilot. Also, he was blessed to fly several of the Navy’s finest fixed wing aircraft and completed a Department Head tour at COMOCEANSYSLANT before leaving the Navy to fly helicopters in the National Guard. He remembered this season joyfully often jokingly saying, “It’s a great job and someone else is paying for the gas too.” But wait there is more! Little did he know that his association with the US Navy was not over and actually continues to this day. He was accepted as part of the Strike Fighter Weapons School at NAS Oceana and spent many years there in various roles. After retirement from military service John then joined the Civil Service as a helicopter simulator manager for the MH60Rs at NASNI. |
The more serious and important timeline that started at baptism continued with confirmation at Christ Church, Pensacola. Although God’s protection has always been with him, Johns coming to Christ moments were while attending Johns Hopkins University sophomore year through the campus crusade for Christ at James Madison University and also through an amazing and beautiful vision of Christ himself towards the Jones Falls area behind Guilford Hall at JHU. Not until later did he understand much of this vision, but he figured that understanding would come later after receiving Christ. John would attend what churches were available including St. Peters, Norfolk, Holy Trinity, Fallon and St. Johns, Chula Vista and all were great and loving communities. He would also volunteer in many capacities within the church and also attended Cursillo. John has a wife named Janet and three great children; Nicole, John, and Matthew. Their family decided to leave the North American Episcopal Church because in our opinion that denomination had left basic biblical principles behind in the turmoil of the last decades. So here I am, a lost sinner that Christ found at Emmanuel Anglican Church. |