Chester Joseph Pletzke, Jr.

Chester Joseph “Chet” Pletzke, beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, and pioneer in the field of medical librarianship, passed away on October 17, 2025, at the age of 84, following a heart attack.

Born in Bay City, Michigan, Chet lived a life marked by curiosity, service, and compassion. After earning his B.A. from Duquesne University in 1964, he went on to receive a Master of Library Science from the University of Michigan in 1965 and continued graduate work in counseling psychology at Yeshiva University in 1966. This academic foundation led him to a distinguished career combining information science, health education, and public service.

Chet began his professional journey as a medical librarian at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. As his family grew, they relocated to Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks, where he worked at the Will Rogers Memorial & Research Institute. In 1972, the family moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he served at The John Crerar Library and contributed to the development of the Midwest Health Science Library Network while also teaching at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

His most impactful professional chapter came at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, where he served as Director of the Library and Learning Resource Center. There, he oversaw a remarkable transformation of library services—bringing in digital catalogs, expanding access to electronic databases, and ensuring that vital medical information was available to military healthcare providers around the world. His work made a lasting mark on the way military medicine accessed and used information in practice and education. Colleagues remember him for his innovative spirit, generosity in mentorship, and deep commitment to the people he served. He was a member of the American Library Association and the Medical Library Association.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Chet was a man of humor, humility, and quiet strength. Ask anyone about him, and you'll hear the same phrases: “great guy,” “dear friend,” “computer expert,” “a kind and gentle man,” and someone with a “wonderful sense of humor.”

Chet was a devoted husband to Linda, also a librarian at the Library of Congress, and a loving father to their two children. Together, they built a warm and lively home in Bethesda, where Chet indulged his love of Maurice Sendak's work, added to the family's whimsical collection of cow memorabilia, and strolled the neighborhood with his two cats.

After retiring in 2002, he remained active in the library world—first remotely as a Digital Archives Associate, and then through volunteer work with the Brevard Music Center Association and the Mote Marine Laboratory Library. A return to North Carolina following Linda’s passing in 2021 led Chet to Chapel Hill and eventually Carolina Meadows, where he continued to give back, joining the archives committee, leading neighborhood initiatives, and participating in men’s discussion groups, both in person and virtually with his Sarasota friends. He was also a member of the local Unitarian Universalist congregation and enjoyed the group’s retreat to The Mountain.

Chet is survived by his children, Adrienne (Patrick) Breedlove and Jonathan (Victoria) Pletzke, three grandchildren, and a wide circle of extended family, friends, colleagues, and fellow volunteers whose lives he enriched.

He leaves behind a legacy not only of professional achievement but also of warmth, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to community. He will be deeply missed.

A life well lived, a man well loved.

No services are planned at Chet's request. 

Donations in his honor may be made to the ACLU.