Ratana Attapit, a devoted mother and grandmother who volunteered for nearly two decades at Wat Dhammaram Thai Buddhist Temple, died April 9, 2026, in Elgin, Illinois. She was 80.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Supisarn Attapit; four children: Suparat Attapit Kwasa, Sirirat Attapit, Surat Attapit and Sirat Attapit; six grandchildren: Malee, Ratana, Marcus, Michael, Chadin and Carisa; and one sibling, Punchai Krisnasmit. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harn Krisnasmit and Riam Krisnasmit, and her siblings, Pornchai Krisnasmit and Aaew Krisnasmit.
Attapit was born Nov. 11, 1945, in Bangkok, Thailand. She was a longtime volunteer at Wat Dhammaram Thai Buddhist Temple, where she served as treasurer of the Thai Classical Dance School and contributed to the construction of Queen Sirikit Hall. She died of acute erythroid leukemia.
Visitation will be held Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Ave., Justice, Illinois.
A Buddhist chant service will be held Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
Cremation rites will be accorded.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in honor of Ratana Attapit to Wat Dhammaram Thai Buddhist Temple or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.