Bryce Kaczmarek, 70, of East Peoria, passed away unexpectedly at 3:48pm Sunday, May 11, 2025 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

He was born November 6, 1954 in Olathe, KS to the late Herbert J. and Marie E. Havens Kaczmarek. He married Becca Bullard on November 6, 1976 in Santa Barbara, CA, and from there, they began to grow their life and family.

Surviving is his wife, Becca; their daughters, Katy (Tim) Joyce of Katy, TX, Ginger (Jake) Johnson of Germantown Hills, and Ashlye (Daniel) Pfuelb of Reno, NV; their grandchildren, Ian, Taylor, Autumn, Zadyn, Killian, and Pyper Ann; his siblings, Bill (Ginger) Kaczmarek, Mike (Nancy) Kaczmarek, Kevin (Carol) Kaczmarek, and Marya (Curtis) Johnston; his mother-in-law, Ginger Bullard; his siblings-in-lnaw, Abbie (Cappy) Paulding and Rusty (Kim) Bullard; his many nieces and nephews; his "adopted" kids, Rachael Scalf and Sacha Gaffney; as well as his grand-dogs, Athena and Riley, and grand-pig, Opey.

He was also preceded in death by his father-in-law.

To say that Bryce had a larger than life personality would be an understatement. No matter where he went, he made an impact on people because he cared about them. He got to know people, listened to their stories, made them laugh, and usually gave them a nickname. He was generous with his time, his knowledge, his home, his resources, and often his "dad jokes." He loved Colorado and was a fan of all their sports teams: the Avalanche, Broncos, and Rockies. After retiring from Caterpillar, he began to work for ADA Total Access, using each of his skills to serve veterans in need. He also enjoyed travelling, whether a short trip or long, taking in audiobooks along the way. Even if the trip was short, it likely would become long if a historical site was involved; Bryce loved to read and absorb every single detail a museum or historical plaque had to offer and couldn't resist pulling over to check out a historical landmark. He and his family enjoyed many trips home and abroad together. Most important to him was his family. He valued and forged strong relationships with his entire family, investing his time with them. Bryce loved taking Becca to lunch and taking her dancing every Saturday night. He understood the importance of quality time and connecting with people; his loss will be deeply felt, but his legacy will be one of love.

His family will receive friends from 2-4:00pm Sunday, May 18, 2025 at Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory in Washington. Following the visitation, there will be a time to share memories and remember Bryce.