Richard John Kowalski, 81, of McLeansboro, Illinois, passed away at midnight July 23, 2020 at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He was born June 9, 1939 in Scheller, Illinois to the late Stanley and Helen (Dublo) Kowalski. Richard married Patricia (Pokorney) Kowalski on June 8, 1974. They were blessed with 46 years of marriage.

A Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 29, 2020 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Newell Funeral Home in Waltonville, Illinois. A Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 1:30 pm at Saint Barbara Catholic Church in Scheller, Illinois with Father John Iffert officiating. Interment will follow at Saint Barbara Cemetery in Scheller, Illinois. The American Legion Post #141 will conduct full military honors at the cemetery. Memorials may be made in Richard’s honor to Saint Barbara Cemetery or Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Please remember to observe social distancing at this time. We are limited to 50 people in our building at a time. Following the CDC and NFDA regulations, we encourage everyone to wear a mask in our facility. They will be made available, upon request.

Call Newell Funeral Home at 618-279-7272 or visit newellfuneralhome.com for further information.