After the July 2016 flood, my neighbor John Pacylowski kept me up to date with all of the activities of the city, either by phone or by text. He shared when various officials walked up and down the street measuring progress of each and every building. He would send me snapshots and updates of progress, often explaining how difficult the situation was.

One day was particularly difficult. The building inspector threatened to “write him up” and “fine him $250 per day” for a failing slope which John owned that was undermined by the flood.

The building inspector told John that he had to reinforce the dirt and do other excavation work, which was impossible, as the roads were destroyed and there was no chance an average guy could get big equipment into town. 

My neighbor, John Pacylowski, with whom I spoke on the phone almost daily after the 1000 year flood on July 2016, was so worried about the cost of repair and the overall impact of the floods to his property, to his family, to his future and the future of his business— he decided, at near 70 years of age, to do the repair work to his buildings himself. 

Short on funds and unable to afford professional scaffolding to be installed outside of his building, John created a scaffold, put a ladder on top to begin his work. At some point, John lost his balance and fell to his death.

I learned of John’s passing on the 11pm news that night.

It was devastating.

I attended his funeral and while I listened to his son speak and accept responsibility for his father making “not a good decision,” I had to wonder if everyone knew that John was terrified. He was doing what he felt forced to do. He did not want to end his business this way for this reason. He and his wife were not ready to retire.

John Pacylowski, was an all-around good guy, loved as a father, grandfather, husband and deeply rooted community member in Ellicott City whose life should not have come to a close over something like this.