Obituaries July 14, 2022
ZOFIA ANTOLAK
Zofia Antolak (nee Zagata), age 83, of Garfield Ridge, passed away July 8.
Beloved wife of the late Jozef Antolak; loving mother of Danuta (Krzysztof) Nowobilski; dearest grandmother of Beata (Janusz) Graca and Lukasz (Katarzyna) Nowobilski; dearest great grandmother of Kevin, Lucas and Nicolas.
Vistiation was held July 10. Funeral was held July 11 from the funeral home to the Church of St. Fautina Kowalska for Mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Zarzycki Manor Chapels, Ltd., 5088 South Archer Avenue, Chicago. 773-767-2166.
JOANN BUNETTA
JoAnn Bunetta (nee Aiello); age 64, of Chicago, Clearing community, passed away June 29.
Beloved wife of Mark Bunetta; loving mother of Michael (Kelsey) and Anthony Bunetta; dear grandmother of Hunter; fond sister of Christine (Joseph) Slowik and Cynthia (John) Schoell; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held July 5 at St. James at Sag Bridge Church for Mass. Inurnment Fairmount Willow Hills Memorial Park. 708-839-8999 or www.ZarzyckiManorChapels.com.
HELENA DOMIAN
Helena Domian (nee Gronka), age 89, passed away June 13.
Beloved wife of the late Walenty Domian; loving mother of Pawel (Malgorzata) Domian, Bozena (Franciszek) Kikla and Sr. Anna Domian; dear grandmother of Mateusz (Agata), Lukasz and Bartlomiej; dearest great-grandmother of Dawid and Amalia; cherished daughter of the late Zofia (nee Waksmanska) and the late Jan Gronka; fond sister of the late Engiel (the late Anna) Gronka and the late Pawel Gronka. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held June 16 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held June 17, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Fabian Church, 7450 W. 83rd Street, Bridgeview for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
JOSE S. HURTADO
Jose S. Hurtado, age 83, of Archer Heights, passed away July 6.
He was the beloved husband of Maria Hurtado; loving father of John (Kelly) Hurtado, Jose F. Hurtado and Rafael Hurtado; dearest grandfather of Alyssa, Jose G., Grace and Galena; dear brother of Theresa Hurtado and the late Rafael and the late Clara; also survived by many brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.
Visitation Thursday, July 14, 4-8 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 7 p.m at Zarzycki Manor Chapels, Ltd., 5088 South Archer Avenue, Chicago. 773-767-2166.
MATTHEW T. HUSAR
Matthew T. Husar, a lifelong resident of Chicago and the south suburbs, died July 4, at his home in Palos Heights following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
Husar, 70, was born Feb. 3, 1952, in Chicago to John Z. and Kathryn Husar. After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, Husar earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography in 1977 from Eastern Illinois University at Charleston.
Husar had a lifetime affection for railroading and spent most of his life working in railroad-related fields. At one point he served as a trainmaster for the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. He later got involved in railroad safety work and served for a time as a railroad accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
Husar spent 26 years with Metra Commuter Rail before retiring in 2012 as superintendent of the Rock Island Line. Additional titles held were Director of Operations and Assistant Superintendent of the Metra Electric Line. Husar served as treasurer of the Chicago Railroad Superintendents Association where he was a member for more than 23 years.
An avid biker, bird watcher, nature lover and amateur aviation spotter, Husar also was an active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Palos Heights. He was actively engaged in the church’s Big Build homebuilding program and a regular attendee of the bible study group.
Husar is survived by his wife, the former Donna Gallinaitis of Palos Heights; daughters Emma, Madeline and Claire Husar of Palos Heights; daughter Chyanne Husar, son-in-law Jason Fess and granddaughter Eloise Husar Fess, all of Brookfield; sister Jez Husar and partner Kent Heath of Freeport; brothers Mike Husar and his wife, Barbara, of Chicago, Fred Husar of Lyons and Edward Husar and his wife, Deborah, of Quincy; mother-in-law Anna Gallinaitis, brother-in-law Willie Gallinaitis and his wife, Evelyn, of Westmont; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Husar was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest brother, John P. Husar, a longtime sports writer and outdoors columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
Services we’re held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7800 S. McCarthy Road in Palos Heights. Interment Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Hillside.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to any of the following organizations: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: https://www.pancan.org/
Rails to Trails Conservancy: https://www.railstotrails.org/
American Eagle Foundation: https://www.eagles.org/.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home.
MARIA KOWALCZYK
Maria Kowalczyk, age 82, passed away June 21.
Cherished daughter of the late Zofia (nee Knapczyk) and the late Grzegorz Kowalczyk. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Visitation was held June 25 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held June 25, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Fabian Church, 7450 W. 83rd Street, Bridgeview for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
BARBARA J. LAZ
Barbara J. Laz (nee Nepil), age 70, of Brookfield.
Beloved wife of Paul J. Laz; loving mother of Dana (Nick) Birch, Amy (Bill) Hurt, Daniel (Ally) Laz and Jill (Adam) Czubak; grandmother of Everett, Holly, Colette, Iris, Emma and April; sister of Lori (the late Bill) Lundeen; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Services private. Arrangements entrusted to Hitzeman Funeral Home & Cremation Services 9445 W. 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513. Interment Private. Information 708-485-2000 or www.HitzemanFuneral.com. In lieu of flowers memorials appreciated to: American Cancer Society 1 E. Wacker Drive Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60601. 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 Barbara Laz Family. We will gladly forward it on to the family.
MARY MALANTIS
Mary Malantis, age 88, longtime resident of Chicago, passed away June 18.
Cherished daughter of the late Sofia (nee Eleftheriou) and the late John Malantis; dear sister of Leo Malantis. Also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held June 24 at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, 7560 S. Archer Road, Justice, followed by a Funeral service. Interment, Bethania Cemetery, Justice. Arrangements entrusted to care of Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
JANICE ‘JANI’ ELIZABETH MATHERN
Janice “Jani” Elizabeth Mathern, (nee Griffin), 73, of Downers Grove, passed away on Tuesday, July 5.
Jani was born June 29, 1949, in Chicago and moved to Worth at the age of 2 where she resided for much of her life.
Survivors include her five siblings and their spouses. She was preceded in death by her parents Stephen and Corraine Griffin, of Worth. Other survivors include a significant number of nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Jani was the aunt that always remembered everyone’s birthday. She was the aunt that crocheted everyone their own baby blanket. Throughout her life, she remained close to her cousins and to friends from her class at Mt. Assisi Academy, and made new friends in the senior community she moved to in Downers Grove in 2016. She will be remembered for her smiling face and her kind words.
EWA MRUGALA
Ewa Mrugala (nee Jamroz), age 61, passed away June 15.
Beloved wife of Jozef Mrugala; cherished daughter of the late Maria (nee Twarok) and the late Zdzislaw Jamroz; dearest sister of Tomasz Jamroz; fond sister-in-law of Janina and Czeslaw Kowalczyk. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held June 19 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held June 20, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Daniel the Prophet Church, 5358 S. Nashville Avenue, Chicago for Mass. Cremation rites to be accorded. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
WILLIAM F. O’BRIEN
William F. O’Brien, 93, of Hometown, passed away on July 8.
He was the beloved husband for 70 years of the late Adele E., nee Glenn; devoted father of Ellen O’Brien, the late Michael and Martin (Joanne) O’Brien; proud grandfather of Janet, Jennifer and Katie; great-grandfather of six; loving brother of Mary (the late Bill) Brynie and the late Patricia (the late Richard) Bong, and James (Sue) O’Brien.
He was a Korean War Army veteran and belonged to chapters of the Korean War Veterans Association in Chicago and Arizona.
He was a Hometown Fire Protection District trustee for many years.
He was a longtime hockey official and baseball umpire for all levels of the sports including college.
Visitation will be Thursday from 4-9 p.m. at Curley Funeral Home, 6116 W. 111th St., Chicago Ridge. Funeral Service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment Mount Hope Cemetery.
JEROME J. PAICH
Jerome J. Paich, age 88, passed away June 17. U.S. Air Force Veteran. He served in the U.S. Air Force 102 DA2CW Sq. Division for 4 years.
Cherished son of the late Julia Paich. Jerome leaves behind his wife Jean (nee Kardynalski) Paich of 65 years, his two sons, Ronald Paich and Robert Paich (Carol LaBarbara), his sister-in-law Sandra Lynn (Robert) Mitchell and his late brother-in-law Walter Sr. (Iris) Kardynalski: fond uncle of the late Walter Kardynalski Jr. (fiancé Sharon) and the late Rob (Jennifer) Valentin; dear friend of Donald Smith.
In memory of Jerome, donations to the Disabled American Veterans or an animal shelter of your choice are much appreciated. Services and cremation private. Arrangements entrusted to care of Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice, Illinois. 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
RODNEY E PEZDEK
Rodney E Pezdek, age 66, of Garfield Ridge, passed away June 8.
Will be forever missed by his beloved family and friends.
Arrangements and Cremation were handled by Szykowny Funeral Home. 4901 S Archer Ave. Chicago. To leave any tributes, please visit funeral home website at www.SzykownyfuneralhomeIL.com.
JOSE A RODRIGUEZ
Jose A Rodriguez, age 69, passed away June 3.
Loving husband of Lidubina Patino. Will be missed by his loving family and friends. Was a Butcher in a Meat Packing Company.
Visitation and Chapel service was held at Szykowny Funeral Home, 4901 S Archer Ave. Chicago. Jonathan F Siedlecki, Director/Owner. Final resting place is in Mexico. To leave any Tributes, please visit funeral home website at www.SzykownyFuneralHomeIl.com.
RETIRED PRIEST R. GEORGE SARAUSKAS
Msgr. R. George Sarauskas, former pastor of St. Mary Parish in Riverside, passed away Saturday, June 25. He was 77 years old.
Fr. Sarauskas was born on April 2, 1945, in Bavaria, Germany. He attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein. He also earned a Master of Public Administration at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 9, 1973, by Cardinal John Cody, and celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 13 of the same year at St. Christopher Parish in Midlothian.
Fr. Sarauskas served the people of the archdiocese in a variety of roles: He started as assistant pastor at St. Athanasius Parish in Evanston. Later he served as associate pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka, St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange and Holy Ghost Parish in South Holland. In the late 1980s, Fr. Sarauskas was appointed director of research and planning, and from 1984 to 1990 he was also director of the Lithuanian Apostolate. In 2004, Fr. Sarauskas became pastor of St. Mary Parish in Riverside serving the community for seven years.
In addition, Fr. Sarauskas served as executive director of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office to Aid the Catholic Church in Eastern, Central Europe and Soviet Union for 14 years in Washington, D.C., which Rev. Ed McLaughlin, pastor emeritus of St. Michael Parish in Orland Park, called “the pinnacle of his service to the Church.”
Services have already been held.
JACEK STYRCZULA
Jacek Styrczula, age 69, passed away June 14.
Beloved husband of Antonina (nee Lassak) Styrczula; loving father of Chris (Marzenka) Styrczula, Mark (Izabella) Styrczula and Daniel Styrczula; dear grandfather of Alessandra, Alexander, Evelyn and Lydia; cherished son of the late Aniela (nee Tyrala) and the late Jan Styrczula; fond brother of Jozef (Barbara) Styrczula, Andrzej (Waleria) Styrczula and Tadeusz (Jozefa) Styrczula. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held June 17 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held June 18, Prayers and procession from the funeral home to Saint Albert the Great Church, 8029 S. Central Avenue, Burbank for Mass. Cremation rites to be accorded. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.
PATRICIA “PATSY” SWANK
Patricia “Patsy” Swank, age 29, of Chicago, passed away unexpectedly July 2. Patsy served her community as a Chicago Police Officer for 6+ years.
Loving and devoted mother of Scott “Scottie” Campbell Jr.; cherished daughter of Ann and Tim Clancy; dear sister of Melissa Manning, Tim Clancy Jr., Ryan Clancy, and Becky Klups; loving granddaughter of Patricia and the late James (ret. CFD) Galbraith, the late James (ret. CPD) and the late Eileen Swank; beloved girlfriend of Tim Madison; dear friend and co-parent with Scott Campbell; adored aunt, niece and friend to many. Patsy was preceded in death by her father James L. Swank.
A visitation for Patsy was held July 10 at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, 7740 S. Western Ave, Chicago. St. Jude Services were held July 10. A Mass of Christian Burial was held July 11 at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, 7740 S. Western Ave, Chicago. Interment at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery, 2755 W. 111th Street, Chicago. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.blakelamboaklawn.com for the Swank family.
ARLENE C. WILDER
Arlene C. Wilder (nee Schultz), age 87, of Chicago, Garfield Ridge community, passed away June 29.
Beloved wife of the late Melvin Wilder; loving mother of David (Gloria), William (Donna), Gregory (Joy), Gary (Christine), Robert, Michael (Janice) Wilder and Jeanne (Joseph) Rosone; cherished grandmother of Erika, James, Jonathan, Jillian, Jacob, Christopher (Tara), Ryan (Sarah), Amanda, Nicolas, Isobel, Lucas, Alexander, Alyssa and the late Emma; dear sister of the late Grayce (late Casimir “Bud”) Bialas.
Visitation was held July 5 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 West Archer Ave. (55th street just west of Harlem). Visitation was held July 6 at the funeral home until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to St. Joseph Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers donations in Arlene’s name to the American Kidney Fund www.kidneyfund.org and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation www.myeloma.org would be greatly appreciated. Condolences may be sent to Arlene’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
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