Necolae “Nick” Leonard Iordachescu

November 7, 1949 – May 20, 2026

It is with heavy hearts—but a lifetime of laughter—that we share that Necolae “Nick” Iordachescu concluded a life well lived on May 20, 2026. After a long road of various health issues and most recently a courageous fight with cancer, Nick still found the strength to smile and make everyone laugh, holding the hand of his beloved wife of 45 years, Leslie, and surrounded by the family and friends who loved him dearly as tearful goodbyes were said.

Nick was born on November 7, 1949, in Munich, Germany. As a young boy, he took one heck of a boat ride with his father, Stefan, mother, Sylvia, and oldest sister, Lya, to Ellis Island, where they immigrated to the USA from their war-torn home. They came directly to Madison, Wisconsin, where they laid down roots and started a better life. Nick told many stories of the tough life they lived, but after graduating high school, he enrolled in the cadet program and was later drafted into the US Army to serve as a Military Police officer.

Our favorite story of Dad’s years of service was how, during basic training at Fort Eustis, Virginia, the troops were told to line up in front of the giant planes headed for Vietnam. The officer in charge pointed and said, “You, you, you… step forward. You are our new head chefs of the base. Everyone else, get on the plane.” If you knew Nick, you knew he loved to cook and enjoy food with family and friends, making it the absolute perfect position for him.

After returning to Madison, Nick chose the selfless career of a City of Madison Police Officer, starting in 1971 during a notable era of modernization and community expansion. He worked many different beats, nights, holidays, and weekends, but was a true friend to the communities he served. Whether it was delivering clothing and toys to the South Madison Community Center, riding countless miles from Madison to Stevens Point for the annual Special Olympics bike ride, serving as the lead police escort in Chris Farley’s funeral procession, or—on the very last day of his career—apprehending three bank robbers and recovering over $100,000 in stolen cash, his accomplishments constantly made us proud to call him Dad.

From his hard work came the real joys in his life. Nick and Leslie found peace and happiness many years ago in Northern Wisconsin. They had years of fun and lots of stories to tell about their shenanigans with friends before starting their own family and traditions in a small, rented summer cottage. After years of driving back and forth on days off and weekends, Nick and Leslie were able to purchase their dream cabin and later rebuild it into their forever home.

It became a sanctuary where Nick could indulge in his favorite things: casting a line to go fishing, loudly crooning along to the oldies, finding a winding trail that led to a good burger and ice-cold beer on the ATV, serving up a welcoming happy hour, playing cards with close friends, cheering on his beloved Green Bay Packers, and talking to his favorite four-legged dog friends.

Above all, the cabin became a place his six spunky grandkids loved to spend as much time as possible swimming, ATVing, boat riding, marshmallow roasting, fort building, and having sleepovers. It won’t be the same without him there, but they will forever honor "GPa" by continuing to do all the fun things they shared with him.

Nick was not a man of rigid formality or religious rituals; he found his heaven right here on earth in the noise of a crowded room, the love of his family, and a perfectly timed punchline.

He is survived by his loving wife, Leslie Iordachescu (74); sisters Lya (84) and Marietta (74); his children, Lori Iordachescu (50), Lindsay Rauls (44) and her husband Pete Rauls (38), and Andrew Iordachescu (41) and his wife Stacy(41) Iordachescu. He is also survived by his six grandchildren who brought him endless joy: Adrianna (16), Rylee (13), Gemma (11), Brynna (9), Jett (9), and Blake (8). He leaves behind a legacy of laughter, countless friends, and a few very spoiled dogs.

In accordance with Nick’s wishes, he will be cremated, and a celebration of his life will be held at a later date—complete with good food, his favorite music, and plenty of stories.

Nick always appreciated a good joke and never liked saying goodbye. So, in his honor, he’d want you to know that he’s not really gone. He just finally found a way to get out of doing the dishes. As the man himself would say: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because I finally don't have to watch the Packers lose a lead in the 4th quarter or sit in any more TJ Maxx parking lots.”

See you later, Nick. You did good.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Rd    Madison

608-238-3434