Family, Milwaukee mourn 'dedicated civil servant' who was shot and killed on duty

Family man. Dedicated civil servant. Respected by all.

Those phrases have come up repeatedly to describe Greg "Ziggy" Zyszkiewicz, a city home inspector who was shot and killed while on duty Wednesday afternoon.

But to his family, including his wife of 40 years, three children and five grandchildren, Zyszkiewicz was fun-loving, caring and always on the move.

"He was the world's greatest man," said his oldest daughter, Heather Zyskiewicz Sharafinski. "Not just father, not just grandpa. He was the world's greatest man. He was Superman."

At least three people — including one teenager with a prior conviction related to a strong-arm robbery case — have been taken into custody as part of the investigation into his death, sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The aftermath of his killing reverberated Thursday, with city leaders remembering Zyszkiewicz, 64, as a man of character, dedication and fun.

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He was known for his annual birthday party, dubbed "Ziggy Fest," and his wife told Mayor Tom Barrett he was already planning this year's festivities.

"He was very respected. He was very well-liked," Barrett said Thursday at a City Hall news conference.

Olha Zyszkiewicz said her husband always wanted to help people, whether on the job or in their close-knit neighborhood on the city's south side.

"He loved the people he worked with," she said. "He never had anything bad to say about anybody. He always looked for the positive. He just always found something good in people. This is just who he was. We're not saying that because he's gone. He would help anybody."

She said her husband was "one of the hardest working men" she had ever known. A runner, he had a favorite saying: "Motion is a lotion."

"He wanted to live to be 100," she said.

Olha Zyskiewicz was surrounded by her family, including her son Bryan and daughter Morgan. Her husband was also survived by his brothers Tom and Denis and sister Elaine Pagac.

"We're remembering how much our dad loved us and we're just supporting each other through this time," Sharafinski said.

Others had memories of Zyszkiewicz, who often accompanied aldermen on neighborhood walks in their districts.

"You really get to know a guy personally when you walk and talk for hours, and I know that above all else, Ziggy was a good man who loved his family, and he was a dedicated civil servant who loved his job," Ald. José G. Pérez said.

Grief counselors and a chaplain met with his co-workers Thursday, and residential inspections were mostly put on hold, the mayor said.

Barrett said he held a cabinet meeting to discuss the safety of all city employees, adding that officials were examining what changes might be necessary to protect workers.

"We want to make sure that our city employees are safe and feel safe," Barrett said.

Zyszkiewicz was a special enforcement inspector for the Department of Neighborhood Services, a job that typically deals with the most serious problem properties in the city. He also had worked as a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper carrier.

Zyszkiewicz was found inside his vehicle in the area of N. 23rd and W. Cherry streets about 2 p.m. Wednesday after police had been called to check the welfare of a person slumped over the steering wheel.

He was there to conduct a routine inspection of the exterior of a building with code violations that had not been corrected, said Preston Cole, commissioner of neighborhood services.

"He would have known if it was time to get out of there," Cole said.

Zyszkiewicz had not requested assistance or backup, and it was unclear how long he'd been at the location when he was shot, Cole said.

On Thursday, his former boss at the department, Clyde Hutchinson, praised Zyszkiewicz for his devotion to his job and the community.

He was "one of those employees that always saw the positive side of things, always had a smile on his face and would provide support and counsel to his less-experienced inspectors or new inspectors that came into the department," said Hutchinson, who retired in 2014 from managing the department's special enforcement division.

Zyszkiewicz, who worked for the city for more than 30 years, rose through the ranks at the agency because of his extraordinary qualifications, extensive training and licensing, and because "he was just a wonderful individual, a wonderful human being," said Hutchinson.

"Whenever he could assist, he did," Hutchinson said.

Ald. Russell Stamper II, who represents the district where the shooting occurred, said the incident was "sickening and shocking."

The city is "blessed to have a dedicated family of employees" who keep neighborhoods safe and clean and make the city better every day, he said.

"When one of them is taken from us suddenly and tragically, the pain and grief is deeply felt by all members of our city family," Stamper said.

Barrett said notifying Zyszkiewicz's wife about his death was devastating.

"It was the most difficult moment that I've had in this job," Barrett said.

Cole agreed.

"We have been absolutely rocked to our core," he said.

Gov. Scott Walker ordered state and U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff.

"By all accounts, he was a good man and loved by all, and our hearts and prayers go out to his family, all the members of the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services, and the Milwaukee community during this difficult time," Walker said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7360.

A fund has been established to support Gregory "Ziggy" Zyszkiewicz’s family at U.S. Bank. Donations can be made at any branch location with checks payable to the Olha D. Zyszkiewicz Donation Account.