JAMES “JIM” MICHAEL JOSEPH ARDOVITCH

James Michael Ardovitch, 87, passed away peacefully August 26, surrounded by his family.

He was a Navy veteran.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Mary of 61 years; children Mary Ann (Jim) Minick, Patricia (Bill) Scott, Joseph, grandchildren; Quincy (Nicole), Joseph (Sarah), Adam, Billy (Tina), Mark, Angela, Matt, Alexis, Nicholas, and Michael and many great-grandchildren. Jim is preceded in death by his parents Adam and Mary Ardovitch and his son Anthony.

For almost his entire 87 years, Jim lived in the same house in Garfield Ridge. He attended St. Camillus Grammar School, St. Rita High School, and DeVry Technical Institute before joining the Navy in March 1958.  While stationed at White Sands, New Mexico, he became a member of the Knights of Columbus.

While serving, he was transferred to Naples, Italy, where he met the love of his life.  As the story goes, Jim wrote a letter to Padre Pio asking him to help him find his soulmate.  Not long afterwards, he met Maria Teresa Varriale – it was love at first sight.  After a short courtship they married in 1962 and had three children, Mary Ann, Patricia, and Joseph.

In 1963, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ardovitch was discharged from the Navy and returned with Mary to the States. For a short time, he was a cameraman for Channel 7-WLS-TV.  When the station moved to New York, he became an electronics technician for Chicago Communications Service.  After 32 years, he retired at the age of 62.   Jim and Mary enjoyed many years of travel with family and friends. Every year, they returned to Italy in San Nicola, Calabria, to visit with Mary’s family.

Jim was very active in his parish, St. Daniel the Prophet, serving as president of the Holy Name Society, volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul, an Usher since the age of 18; many may remember seeing him in his signature Red Jacket.  He remained active in the Knights of Columbus earning “the Fourth Degree with the title of “Sir Knight.”  He helped charter and was Grand Knight of the Saint Padre Pio Council.  He was true to the organizations purpose to foster the spirit of patriotism, and encourage active Catholic Citizenship, he helped coordinate the annual Tootsie Roll Drive raising money for local charities.  He volunteered for over 20 years with the USO at Midway Airport supporting local military service members and their families.  Mary later joined him to participate in the Airport Ambassador Program, assisting visitors, staffing information desks, and supporting airport special events.

Visitation for James was held September 1 at Ridge Funeral Home, 6620 W. Archer Ave., Chicago. Visitation was also held September 2 at Ridge Funeral Home. Prayer service, Mass of Christian Burial at St Daniel the Prophet Church, 54th and Natoma Ave., Chicago. Committal service at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum, 7201 Archer Road.  For more info, call 773-586-7900 or visit www.ridgefh.com. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ridgefh.com for the Ardovitch family.

DAVID C. AUGUST

David Charles August, 79, passed away suddenly on Monday, August 28, surrounded by his loving family.

He was the beloved husband of Mary August; loving father of Cindy August, Susan Yerly, David (Michele) August, Bernadette (Peter) Bukiri, Jill (Jason) Mc Sheridan, Phillip (Kathy) August, Mary (Brian) Radz and Cara (Michael) Vainisi; cherished grandfather of Michael (Kayla), Nicholas and Austin Yerly, Ryan, Keegan, Abigail and Devin August, Peter and Sophia Bukiri, Nathan and Samantha Mc Sheridan, Elijah and Allana Radz, Parker and Violet Vainisi; proud great grandfather of Juniper.

Funeral services were held August 31 at the Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home, 11028 Southwest Hwy., Palos Hills, to Our Lady of the Ridge Church. Interment was private.

IRENE A. DOMMER

Irene A. Dommer, 94, of Palos Heights, passed away on Wednesday, August 30.

She was the beloved wife of the late Rueben D. Dommer; Loving mother of Shirley (Ronald) Popper, Gary (Jean) Dommer, Julie (Timothy) Abbott, and the late Roger (Cyndy & Robert Bacigalupo) Dommer; cherished grandmother of Stephanie Popper, Sarah (James) Veale, Chena Popper, Gary Jr. (Jessica) Dommer, Megan (Brian) Grabinski, John (Leslie) Abbott, Emily, (fiancé Kyle Spradlein) Abbott, Jacob (Bailey) Dommer; proud great-grandmother of Brady, Bria, Bella, Sydney, Rueben, River, Luca, Franklin, Joanna, Vera, and Stanley; loving sister of the late Florence (the late Lester) Perleberg, Arthur (the late Harriet) Buetow, Lenora (the late Walter) Theis, Willmer (the late Dorothy),  Raymond (the late Delores), and Harry (Norreen) Buetow; Joyce Crooks, Myron Buetow and Alvina Moyer.

Irene was a very active member of the CCW (and former Woman of the Year) and the Sacred Heart Fun Club. She was also a volunteer with the Religious Education program.

Family and friend will gather for visitation on Friday, September 8, from 3-8 p.m. Funeral will be Saturday, September 9, at 8:45 a.m. with prayers at Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home, 11028 Southwest Hwy., Palos Hills, to Sacred Heart Church for 9:30 a.m. Mass. Interment Sacred Heart Cemetery.

STANISLAW JURCZAK

Stanislaw Jurczak, 80, passed away August 26.

Beloved husband of Maria Jurczak (nee Spyrka); loving father of Malgorzata (Jacek) Surdyka, Zygmunt (Renata) Jurczak and Wanda (Janusz) Burzawa; dear grandfather of Klaudia (Jan), Katarzyna (Dominik), Magdalena (Jakub), Sebastian, Sylwester, Jakub and Kacper; dearest great-grandfather of Thomas and Ryan; cherished son of the late Zofia (nee Surowiec) and the late Jan Jurczak; fond brother of Andrzej (Czeslawa) Jurczak and Franciszka (the late Wladyslaw) Kosla. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Visitation was held August 30 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held August 31 from the funeral home to Sacred Heart Church, 8245 W. 111th Street, Palos Hills for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.

JANINA KENSEK

Janina Kensek passed away peacefully after gracing this earth for 91 years.

She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Kensek; loving mother of John Kensek, Casey Kensek, Diane (fiancé Jim) Kensek, Joseph Kensek, Christine (Edward) Palumbo and the late Stanley Kensek; much loved grandmother of Liz, Barb, Brandon, Jason, Travis, Jillian, Abby, Violet and Kahlia; great grandmother of Kendall. Janina was preceded in death by her siblings, Helen Garrity, Anna Ogrodny and Ted Characa.  A very religious, strong, independent woman, Janina touched many lives with her gracious and giving spirit. She was deeply loved and will be dearly lovingly missed.

Visitation was held August 29 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Visitation at the funeral home August 30 until procession from the funeral home to St. Faustina Kowalska Parish for a Mass of Christian burial. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.

JOHN “JUICE” MAJEWSKI

John “Juice” Majewski, 61, of Bedford Park, passed away August 23.

John was born on December 16, 1961 to John (deceased) and Loretta (deceased) (Nee Giganti) in Evergreen Park. A graduate of Argo High School. John was a dear brother of Judy (Nee Majewski) wife to Chuck Farruggia and Joe husband to RaeAnn. Proud uncle to Stephen, Joseph, DJ, and Meghan.

In high school John began taking stats for many of the Argo High School teams, this is where his passion for sports began. Thinking back we remember John and our dad “loudly” discussing stats and scores whether it be minor, major, or professional teams. John continued his passion when he was in his 20s by coaching young men’s softball leagues. For the past 20-plus years, he was a coach for the Brookfield Babe Ruth Baseball Organization. Where he led his team through many championships.

John held his family close to his heart. One of the many things he enjoyed doing for our family was making homemade bread, a recipe handed down from our mom. At any family gatherings, it was certain to see John wrestling with his nephews and teasing his niece.

John, you will be missed by your family, your close friends, and your Brookfield Babe Ruth Baseball family.

Visitation was held August 29 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice, with a Service and Time of Remembrance held at the funeral home. Cremation rites to be accorded. For more information, 708-496-0200 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com.

JOSE MARQUES NUNES

Jose “Joseph” Marques Nunes, 90, of Palos Heights and Scottsdale, Arizona, died August 28, 2023, from natural causes.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother and two sisters, and his companion of 29 years, Mary Anderson. He is survived by his sons Marcus, Paul (Joan Cummings) and Joseph (Wendy Heimann), grandchildren Katherine (Derek) Cantu, Marc (Laura Bertini), Alexander (Julia Vasquez), Jonathan, Charlotte, Michael, Eva and Noah, and two great-grandchildren, as well as numerous cousins.

Jose was born on a farm in Freixianda, Portugal, to Joaquim Nunes Maia and Maria Marques. His hard work and intelligence allowed him to pursue a career in nursing, which soon led him to come to Chicago to work as a nursing educator.

He eventually went on to earn his bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees from DePaul University. Changing then to a legal career, he served as an assistant state’s attorney in Will County and then in private practice.

He returned to public service with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, where he served until his retirement as an administrative law judge.

He loved to travel (including as his own pilot), enjoyed gardening and photography, and prided himself on his repair skills — home, mechanical and auto.

Funeral services were held September 1 at Palos-Gaidas Funeral Home, 11028 Southwest Highway, Palos Hills. Procession to St. Alexander Church. Interment Evergreen Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Evans Scholars Foundation (www.wgaesf.org) in the name of the Nunes Scholarship fund.

For more information, or to express your condolences visit www.palosgaidasfh.com or call 708-974-4410.

MAREK PLEWA

Marek Plewa, 64, passed away August 26.

Beloved husband of Helena Wontorczyk; loving father of Andrzej (Barbara) Plewa, Anna (Robert) Wrobel and Joanna (Jacek) Frankowski; dearest grandfather of Izabela Wrobel and Dominik Wrobel. Cherished son of the late Bronislawa (nee Worwa) and the late Andrzej Plewa; dear brother of Marian (Maria) Plewa, Krystyna (the late Marek) Korwel, the late Adam Plewa, Maria (the late Antoni) Uchmanowicz, Barbara (the late Kazimierz) Truty, Danuta (Piotr) Pytlik, Bronislawa (Ton) Reintjens and Bernadetta (Gabriel) Szumal. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Visitation was held August 31 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held September 1 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.

ANDRZEJ RADECKI

Andrzej Radecki, 73, passed away August 24.

Beloved husband of Janina Radecka (nee Klimek); loving father of Zbigniew (Katarzyna) Radecki, Robert (Katarzyna) Radecki, Anna (Piotr) Orawiec and Lucyna Radecka-Slowik; dearest grandfather of Patryk, Wiktoria, Weronika, Paulina, Zuzanna, Mateusz, Bartek and Oscar; cherished son of the late Albina (nee Jachymiak) and the late Andrzej Radecki; dear brother of Bronislawa Tylka, Anna (Waclaw) Jachymiak, Stanislaw (Helena) Radecki, Zofia (Piotr) Dugan, Stanislawa (Jan) Janowiak and Rozalia (the late Randy) Schmidt; fond son-in-law of Bronislawa and the late Wladyslaw Klimek. Also survived by nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, relatives and friends.

Visitation was held August 28 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held August 29 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.

RICHARD J. SALACH

Richard J. Salach, longtime resident of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community, late of Galena, passed away August 24.

He was preceded in death by his parents August and Margaret Salach. Dear brother of Carol Salach, David Salach, Mary Salach and the late Patrick Salach; loving uncle of many nieces and nephews.

Visitation was held August 30 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Visitation August 31 at the funeral home until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to St. Daniel the Prophet Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment is Resurrection Cemetery.

RUFUS A. WUJCIK JR.

Rufus A. Wujcik Jr., 84.

Beloved husband and best friend to the late Carol A. Wujcik; cherished father of Patricia Madigan, Darlene Wujcik, JoAnn (Terry) Meadows and Cathy (Randy) Rowe; dearest grandfather of Michael, Katie, and the late Steven Madigan, Nick (Denise) and Joe Meadows, and Hunter Rowe, Big Papa to Riley and Quinn; dear brother of the late James Wujcik and the late Jacqueline Ragsdale.  Fond uncle and friend to many. “A beautiful life came to an end, he died as he lived – everyone’s friend”.

Funeral was held August 28 from the Richard-Midway Funeral Home, 5749 Archer Ave., Chicago, to Two Holy Martyrs Parish – St. Symphorosa Church for Mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation was held August 27.

In lieu of flowers, in loving memory of Rufus, please take a moment to pay a kind act forward.

For more information please call 773-767-1840 or visit www.richardmidwayfh.com.