Delawareans say final goodbye for former Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki who died last week at the age of 80 following a battle with cancer.
A day after the public said goodbye to Purzycki at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, there was a mass at Saint Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington.
His brother Joe told one story of when they were children growing up and his big brother dealt with some bullies.
"But he also taught me something. It has been an integral part of his life, and that is, you have to stand up for others. The reason those kids ran him around that playground is they were terrorized by that guy for months and summers and Mike stood up for them. Find your courage, Joe. Stand up for others, Joe and have humility. If you do have success," said Joe Purzycki.
Mike Hare worked under Purzycki when he was executive director at the Riverfront Development Corporation, and he fondly remembers the former mayor.
"Let me assure you, Mike is not bigger in death than he was in life,” said Hare. “He was a giant, he was a giant. He made a difference. He touched lives."
Purzycki was the RDC’s first executive director picked for that spot in 1996, and he was mayor of Wilmington from 2017-2025.
Purzycki’s son, Mick also gave a eulogy, and he spoke of a moment they shared right before the mayor overcame seven other challengers to win the 2016 Democratic primary for mayor.
"In that embrace, I understood something final. I did not have to be anything to be loved by him, and he did not have to become anything to be loved by me. He did not need to win. He did not need to be worthy. He did not need to be impressive or prepared or untouched by failure. He only needed to be my dad, and the best dad he was," said Mick Purzycki.
The service was attended by former President Joe Biden and Gov. Matt Meyer, Wilmington Mayor John Carney, U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester and Congresswoman Sarah McBride among others.
Purzycki is survived by his wife Bette, three children Mick, Adriane and Gage, their families and his brother Joe, his wife and their children.
