Obituaries May 26, 2022
DOROTHY F. DUNAJCIK
Dorothy F. Dunajcik, age 89, of Summit, passed away peacefully May 9.
She was the beloved wife of the late John Dunajcik; cherished mother of Joanne (Jim) Fenton and the late John Dunajcik. Dorothy was preceded in death by all of her siblings, Joseph (Frieda) Drobitsch, Ann (Jimmy) Farrell, Mary (Leon) Brotemarkle, Lillian (Fred) Mangan, Katie (John) Farrell, Marge (Harold) Berndt and John (Laverne) Drobitisch. Aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held May 16 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. (55th street just west of Harlem). Visitation was held May 17 until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to Mater Christi Catholic Church, 2401 S. 10th Avenue, North Riverside, for a Mass of Christian Burial. Dorothy was laid to rest next to her husband at Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to Dorothy’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
PASCUALA HERRERA
Pascuala Herrera, age 90, of Berwyn, passed away peacefully May 12, at home surrounded by her loving family.
Pascuala was the beloved wife of the late Natividad; much loved mother of Martha Herrera, Lucy (Manuel) Medrano, Lupe (Tom) Kalter, Chayo (Jerry) Lopez, Juan Herrera, Mari Dimoulas, the late Victor (Gloria) Herrera, Socorro Herrera and Raul Herrera; cherished grandmother of Victor, Carlos, Kiki, Mando, Christopher, Jackie, Nick, Gary, Manuel, Dimitrios, Andrea, Robert, David, Ernesto and Milo; great grandmother of Chandler, Grayson, Marissa, Jacob, Payton, Lincoln, Kayla, Lily, Guillermo, Anita, Charlotte and Nicko; dear aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held May 19 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. (55th street just west of Harlem). Visitation was held May 20 at the funeral home until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to St. Odilo Church, 2244 East Ave, Berwyn for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment St. Mary Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to Pascuala’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
RAMIRO “LEO” JUAREZ JR
Ramiro “Leo” Juarez Jr, age 52, passed away May 5.
He is survived by his wife Veronica and three children, Jeremy, Eli, and Alyssa; son of Ramiro Juarez and Norma Lopez; brother of Duvina Santiago and Raul Juarez; uncle to many and beloved friend to everyone he met.
Visitation and Chapel Service was held at Szykowny Funeral Home, 4901 S Archer Ave, Chicago. Jonathan F Siedlecki, Owner/Director. Cremation private. To leave any tributes, please visit funeral home website at www.SzykownyFuneralHomeIl.com.
MIECZYSLAW KUDELKA
Mieczyslaw Kudelka, age 80, passed away April 21.
Beloved husband of Ewa (nee Gutowska) Kudelka; loving father of Andrew Kudelka (the late Martha Gonzalez) and Cindy Kudelka (Rene Luna); dearest grandpa of Maximiliano Kudelka, Janina Luna and Alina Luna; cherished son of the late Janina (nee Szponar) and the late Jan Kudelka; dear brother of Stefania (Jozef) Kowalski and the late Irena (the late Jozef) Wolodkowicz; fond son-in-law of Alicja Gutowska; dear brother-in-law of Andrzej (Alina) Gutowski. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held April 24 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held April 25, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Daniel the Prophet Church, 5358 S. Nashville Avenue, Chicago for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
JETHANAND MADHAV
Jethanand Madhav, age 82, passed away April 22.
Beloved husband of Nalini Madhav; loving father of Prakash (Lesley) Madhav and Taruna (Bradley) Crawford; cherished son of the late Chandravati (nee Kaku) and the late Thawerdas Madhav; dear brother of the late Leela Madhav, Tulsidas (the late Savita) Madhav, the late Jetha Madhav, Jyoti (the late Ashwani) Bilaney, the late Goverdhandas Madhav, Jagdish (Manjula) Madhav, Madhu (Lakhmichand) Kalra, Deepa (Navin) Soneji, Harish (Naina) Madhav and Jyoti (Subroto) Gangopadhyay; dearest uncle of 10 nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held April 25 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held April 26, Puja Service was held at the funeral home with cremation rites to be accorded. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
ROSE PATRICIA MARA
Rose Patricia Mara (nee Kawa), age 93, of Chicago, Archer Heights community, passed away May 17.
Beloved wife of the late Arthur Mara, Sr.; loving mother of Anne (Paul) Zalud, Arthur, Jr. (Chris), George (Sarah) and Larry (Julie) Mara; dearest grandmother of Katie (James) Dunworth, Amy (Phil) Biwer, Melissa, Meridith, Melanie (fiancé Evan) Robert, Nichole Mara; dear great grandmother of Dylan, Cassandra Dunworth and Lucas Biwer; fond sister of Eleanore (late Ray) Jankowski and preceded in death by Chester (Joyce) Kawa, Frank (late Alfreda) Kawa, Joe (late Jean) Kawa, Al (late Lorraine) Kawa, Joan (late Ed) Nowinski, Stanley (late Helen) Kawa and Helen (late Ed) Tomasik; devoted daughter of the late Frances (nee Jozefowicz) and late Frank Kawa; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held May 22 at Zarzycki Manor Chapels, Ltd., 8999 S. Archer Ave., Willow Springs. Funeral Services were held May 23 at the funeral home. Interment Fairmount Willow Hills Memorial Park. 708-839-8999 or www.ZarzyckiManorChapels.com.
SOLEDAD MARTINEZ
Soledad Martinez, age 81, of Summit, passed away peacefully at home May 14.
She was the loving mother of Irma (Guillermo) Yanez and Ana Maria Guzman, Gerardo Guzman, Miguel Angel Guzman and Rafael Guzman; beloved grandmother of Diego Yanez and Marco Yanez and many more grandchildren and great grandchildren; dear sister of the late Abel Martinez, late Ruben Martinez, late Tomasa Martinez, Elisa Martinez, Celia Martinez, Guadalupe Martinez, Margarita Martinez, Ester Martinez and Fidel Martinez. Soledad will be missed by her many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held May 18 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. (55th street just west of Harlem). Visitation was held at the funeral home May 19 until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to St. Joseph Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to Soledad’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
JOAN E. McCORMICK
Joan E. McCormick, age 87 of Brookfield, passed away May 9.
Beloved daughter of the late William J. McCormick and Jennie McCormick (nee Bartosek) fond sister of the late James (the late Rita) McCormick and William (the late Lynn) McCormick; special Auntie Joanie of Chad, Jim, Chris (the late Joanne Prible), Jill, Rick, Melissa (Ed Noonen) and Jay McCormick; great aunt of Andrew McCormick, Jenny (Tanner) Taake and Michael (Cecilia Morales) McCormick; great great aunt of Jolene, Sofie and Maddox. Joan served as a Public Health Nurse for 46 years. She retired as the Supervisor of Nurses at the Berwyn Public Health Department.
Visitation was held May 14 to time of Mass at St. Barbara Church, 4000 Prairie Avenue, Brookfield. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside. In lieu of flowers memorials appreciated to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 424 E. 92nd St, New York, NY 10128-6804. Arrangements entrusted to Hitzeman Funeral Home. Information 708-485-2000 or www.HitzemanFuneral.com. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, please feel free to send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 West 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513, c/o the Joan McCormick Family. We will gladly forward it on to the family.
IRENA “ZOSIA” SOBOTA
Irena “Zosia” Sobota (nee Zielinska), age 75, passed away April 21.
Beloved wife of the late Mieczyslaw “Matthew” Sobota; cherished daughter of the late Halina (nee Switalska) and the late Roman Zielinski; dear sister of Zbigniew Zielinski; treasured aunt of nieces, nephews and their families. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Visitation was held April 25 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held April 26, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Albert the Great Church, 8029 S. Central Avenue, Burbank for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
CHRISTA THOMPSON
Christa Thompson, 88, of Palos Hills, passed away on May 20.
She was the beloved wife of the late well known horsemen Charles A. Thompson; Christa was a respected horsewoman and business owner in her own right; devoted mother of the Martha Hoyt and son-in-law, Robert A. Hoyt; cherished grandmother of Emily (Nick) Darnell, Danielle (Philip) Gibson and Hayley Hoyt; proud great-grandmother of Harper Darnell and Charlotte Gibson.
A celebration of Christa’s life will be held at later date.
For future updated information, please visit www.palosgaidasfh.com
JAMES J TOLONE
James J Tolone, age 76, of Garfield Ridge community, passed away May 4. Retired lawyer for the State of Illinois
Arrangements and Visitation was held at Szykowny Funeral Home, 4901 S Archer Ave, Chicago, Il, Jonathan F Siedlecki, Owner/Director. Final resting place is Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. To leave any tributes, please visit Funeral home website at www.SzykownyFuneralHomeIL.com.
RICHARD S. TURRISE, SR.
Richard S. Turrise Sr., age 71, passed away April 17. He retired from the Chicago Police Department as an FTO after receiving numerous awards and commendations throughout his 29 year service.
Preceded in death by his parents Salvatore “Sam” and Philomena (nee Auriemmo), his in-laws James “Andy” and Sarah (nee Pecoraro) Johnston and brother-in-law Michael Johnston. Beloved husband of 50 years to Patricia (nee Johnston); devoted father to Gina Maze (Eric), CPD Sgt. Richard Jr. (late Michele), and Tina Grassano (Ugo); cherished Papa to Mia, Sarah, Rosalie, Angelina, Nicolas, Jenna and Eric; doting doggie daddy to Frankie and the late Bella; fond brother to Joseph (Renate). Rich was a loving nephew, cousin, uncle and friend to many.
Visitation was held April 25 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home, 7861 South 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held April 26, prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Symphorosa Church, 6135 South Austin Ave., Chicago for mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Local News
Retired St. Patricia pastor cleared of sexual abuse allegation
The Archdiocese of Chicago has cleared retired Father William Killeen of allegations of sexual abuse following an investigation. Father Killeen, who served as an associate pastor at St. Patricia Parish in Hickory Hills from 1982 to 1989, had been accused of abusing a minor over 40 years ago during his time at the parish. The…
LaGrange park district improvements advance with voter support
Voters approved a $13.86 million referendum for the Park District of La Grange on Tuesday, with 74 percent voting in favor. With 10 of 12 precincts reporting, 5,340 yes votes were recorded, compared to 1,898 no votes, according to the Cook County Clerk’s website. “We’re very excited,” said Jenny Bechtold, executive director of the Park…
Slain West Lawn CPD Officer Martinez shooting suspect charged
A 23-year-old man has been charged with the shooting death of Officer Enrique Martinez, a Hubbard High School graduate and West Lawn resident, who was killed in the line of duty on Chicago’s South Side. The fatal encounter has reignited citywide concerns over rising gun violence and its toll on both residents and law enforcement.…
Oak Lawn’s Howl-O-Ween Brings Thrills, Chills, and Family Fun
On a crisp October evening, the Wolfe Wildlife Refuge transformed into a magical, spooky wonderland as families gathered for Oak Lawn’s annual Howl-O-Ween celebration. Laughter mingled with the rustle of leaves, while costumed children raced from one activity station to the next, collecting treats and creating memories under the twilight sky. The Oak Lawn Park…
Presidential candidate Jill Stein advocates for People Power at Green Party Forum in Orland Park
Nonprofit organizations Al Hub and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) co-hosted a Q&A forum on Wednesday, Oct. 16, featuring Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein. Held at an office building in Orland Park, located at 16101 S. 108th Avenue, the event showcased the Green Party’s focus on community-driven activism, branding itself as a…
Oak Lawn girls volleyball repeats at SSC Red champs
The Oak Lawn Community High School girls volleyball team opened the season steamrolling the competition. In fact, they repeated as champions at the Fenton Bison Blast-off Tournament, and didn’t even lose a single set before heading into their own Spartan Classic in late September. They finished fourth there, but they learned how to react when…
Wolniak Funeral Home celebrates Day of the Dead
The 102-year-old Wolniak Funeral Home has served generations of families throughout the years. Sitting on the southwest corner of 57th and Pulaski, the Polish Funeral Home is reaching out with what they are calling a “legacy of love to the community.” Respecting the traditions and heritage of the Hispanic members of the community, the folks…
Burbank police adopt a 12-hour work schedule
Burbank police will make permanent a trial program that moved them from working eight-hour tours to now working 12-hour shifts. The city approved the work schedule at its Oct. 23 city council meeting. The city confirmed the 12-hour work schedule memorandum of understanding with the Illinois Council of Police. This means that Burbank police officers,…
Drunken driver sentenced to 11 years in Summit trustee’s fatal crash
The driver responsible for the St. Patrick’s Day 2023 crash that killed former Summit village trustee Karen Wasko has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Judge John “Terry” Gallagher handed down the sentence to Joel Velazco Jr., 23, during a hearing Thursday in Room 110 of the Bridgeview Courthouse. Wasko’s daughters, Nicole and Kelly,…
Bridgeview man faces felony charges in carjacking, armed robbery spree
Two men were charged Thursday with multiple felonies after a series of armed robberies and a carjacking in Chicago, authorities said. James Robinson, 21, of the 100 block of East 119th Street in Chicago, and Damian Macias, 21, of the 8800 block of South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, were arrested by the Citywide Vehicular Hijacking…
Neighbors
Retired St. Patricia pastor cleared of sexual abuse allegation
The Archdiocese of Chicago has cleared retired Father William Killeen of allegations of sexual abuse following an investigation. Father Killeen, who served as an associate pastor at St. Patricia Parish in Hickory Hills from 1982 to 1989, had been accused of abusing a minor over 40 years ago during his time at the parish. The…
LaGrange park district improvements advance with voter support
Voters approved a $13.86 million referendum for the Park District of La Grange on Tuesday, with 74 percent voting in favor. With 10 of 12 precincts reporting, 5,340 yes votes were recorded, compared to 1,898 no votes, according to the Cook County Clerk’s website. “We’re very excited,” said Jenny Bechtold, executive director of the Park…
Slain West Lawn CPD Officer Martinez shooting suspect charged
A 23-year-old man has been charged with the shooting death of Officer Enrique Martinez, a Hubbard High School graduate and West Lawn resident, who was killed in the line of duty on Chicago’s South Side. The fatal encounter has reignited citywide concerns over rising gun violence and its toll on both residents and law enforcement.…
Oak Lawn’s Howl-O-Ween Brings Thrills, Chills, and Family Fun
On a crisp October evening, the Wolfe Wildlife Refuge transformed into a magical, spooky wonderland as families gathered for Oak Lawn’s annual Howl-O-Ween celebration. Laughter mingled with the rustle of leaves, while costumed children raced from one activity station to the next, collecting treats and creating memories under the twilight sky. The Oak Lawn Park…
Presidential candidate Jill Stein advocates for People Power at Green Party Forum in Orland Park
Nonprofit organizations Al Hub and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) co-hosted a Q&A forum on Wednesday, Oct. 16, featuring Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein. Held at an office building in Orland Park, located at 16101 S. 108th Avenue, the event showcased the Green Party’s focus on community-driven activism, branding itself as a…
Oak Lawn girls volleyball repeats at SSC Red champs
The Oak Lawn Community High School girls volleyball team opened the season steamrolling the competition. In fact, they repeated as champions at the Fenton Bison Blast-off Tournament, and didn’t even lose a single set before heading into their own Spartan Classic in late September. They finished fourth there, but they learned how to react when…
Wolniak Funeral Home celebrates Day of the Dead
The 102-year-old Wolniak Funeral Home has served generations of families throughout the years. Sitting on the southwest corner of 57th and Pulaski, the Polish Funeral Home is reaching out with what they are calling a “legacy of love to the community.” Respecting the traditions and heritage of the Hispanic members of the community, the folks…
Burbank police adopt a 12-hour work schedule
Burbank police will make permanent a trial program that moved them from working eight-hour tours to now working 12-hour shifts. The city approved the work schedule at its Oct. 23 city council meeting. The city confirmed the 12-hour work schedule memorandum of understanding with the Illinois Council of Police. This means that Burbank police officers,…
Drunken driver sentenced to 11 years in Summit trustee’s fatal crash
The driver responsible for the St. Patrick’s Day 2023 crash that killed former Summit village trustee Karen Wasko has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. Judge John “Terry” Gallagher handed down the sentence to Joel Velazco Jr., 23, during a hearing Thursday in Room 110 of the Bridgeview Courthouse. Wasko’s daughters, Nicole and Kelly,…
Bridgeview man faces felony charges in carjacking, armed robbery spree
Two men were charged Thursday with multiple felonies after a series of armed robberies and a carjacking in Chicago, authorities said. James Robinson, 21, of the 100 block of East 119th Street in Chicago, and Damian Macias, 21, of the 8800 block of South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, were arrested by the Citywide Vehicular Hijacking…