Surapol “Paul” Tantayakom, a physicist who immigrated from Thailand and worked as a technician at the University of Illinois-Chicago, died April 20, 2026, at his home in Tinley Park, Illinois, surrounded by his wife and daughter. He was 78. The cause was a long illness.
He is survived by his wife, Vara Tantayakom; his daughter, Natthinee Sullivan Shurburtt; and two grandsons, Caden Sullivan and Cole Sullivan, of Homer Glen, Illinois.
Tantayakom was born March 11, 1947, in Lopburi, Thailand, the second youngest of six children. He was a professor of physics at Chiang Mai University in Thailand before immigrating to the United States in 1978 with his wife and daughter. He worked at the University of Illinois-Chicago in the Department of Radiology until his retirement, where he was a credited author on scientific publications including “Two Methods of Preparation of Xenon-133 Saline Solution,” published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology.
Tantayakom was an active member of Wat Dhammaram Thai Buddhist Temple, where he and his wife coordinated and supported community activities. He was an avid tennis player, a fan of American football and a self-taught violinist who played multiple Thai instruments.
Visitation will be held Saturday, April 25, 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 25, at 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
Cremation rites will be accorded.