Rizhard Cheveski was the brother of Kazimierz and uncle of Ivan. A native of Poland, he had lived in Warrington since before the start of World War II. After the Occupation, Kazimierz, his wife Biasia and their son Ivan fled their home and arrived in Britain as refugees to live with Rizhard. Both men found employment at the local steelworks but were persecuted by the locals who saw them as taking jobs away from returning servicemen. Following the death of both parents, Ivan continued to live in his uncle's house up until his marriage to Linda Tanner in 1958.