Obituaries for August 19
JAN BEDNARZ
Jan Bednarz, 73, passed away July 29.
Beloved husband of Anna (nee Rzepka) Bednarz; loving father of Janina (Andrzej) Zolnierczyk, Maria Lassak and Wieslaw (Edyta) Bednarz; dear grandfather of Slawomir Zolnierczyk, Julia Lassak, Adrian Bednarz, Emilia Bednarz and Jacob Bednarz; cherished son of the late Maria (nee Tylka) and the late Jozef Bednarz; fond brother of the late Leopold (Maria) Bednarz. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held August 1 at the Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held August 2 at Saint Fabian Church, 7450 W. 83rd St., Bridgeview for Mass. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice.
INOCENCIO DIAZ
Inocencio Diaz, 74, passed away July 28.
He was a retired Chicago Police Officer.
Beloved husband of Anna Maria (nee Ahumada) Diaz; loving father of Rocco Diaz, Richard (Martha) Diaz and Rudy (Sarah) Diaz; dear grandfather of Aaron Diaz, Evan Diaz, Madelyn Diaz, Mia Diaz and Tyler Nowaczyk; cherished son of Amparo (nee Tapia) and the late Ynocencio Diaz; fond brother of Mary (Apolonio) Zavala, Eupemio Diaz, Vincent (Geraldine) Diaz, Demetrio (Alicia) Diaz, Amelia (Andy) Wetz, the late Martin Diaz, Maria Carmen (Richard) Karuhn, Josephine (Ralph) Michel. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Visitation was held August 1 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held August 2. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice.
JAMES MICHAEL DONEGAN
James Michael Donegan, 66, of Chicago’s Brighton Park community, passed away August 1.
Beloved son of the late James and late Shirley Donegan (nee Anderson); loving brother of John (Robin) Donegan, Kelly (Jim) Wilkey, Sharon (James) Brown, and the late Ronald Donegan; cherished uncle of John (Melisa) Donegan, Shannon (Eric) Donegan, Ryan (Alison) Donegan, Erin Kaczmarek, Adam (Reann) Kaczmarek and the late Warren Kaczmarek.
Visitation was held August 6 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave., Summit. Cremation private. Condolences may be sent to James’ family on his personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
GERALD JOHN GORSKI
Gerald John Gorski, 78, of Summit, passed away August 8.
Jerry proudly served in the Navy as a Machinist Mate 2nd class on board the USS Bache during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was a proud member of Pipefitters Local 597.
Gerald was preceded in death by his parents John and Angeline (Cygal) Gorski. Jerry is survived by his wife of 54 years, Phyllis (nee Dappen), their three children, Jackie, Andrew (Paula), and Brian (Andrea). A proud, funny and most loving grandpa, his pride and joy are seven grandchildren Emily, John, Andrew, Elizabeth, Joseph, Brian and Olivia. Jerry is survived by his sister Judy Gorski (Fred Meyer) , their daughters Sarah (Aaron) and Rachel, his brother in law Ed Dappen, and Ed’s children David (Veronica) Dappen and Phyllis (Steven) Suntrup and sons Steven and Thomas.
Visitation was held August 13 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave., Summit. Funeral service was held at St. Joseph Church. Cremation private. Please send your thoughts and condolences to Gerald’s family on his personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
JUNE LANG
June Lang, 88, passed away July 27.
Beloved sister of the late Joan Whelton and the late Betty Urbanczyk; loving daughter of the late Roy D. Lang and the late Ruth (Kilpatrick) Lang; dearest aunt of Susan Berry, John Whelton, and Mark Urbanczyk; cherished great-aunt of Ian, Kaitlin, Kristin and Jack; loving great-great-aunt of Ryder, Emma, Andrew and Tucker. Also survived by many close friends.
Cremation rites were accorded with private interment at Evergreen Cemetery, Evergreen Park. Arrangements entrusted to care of Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice, Illinois.
PAUL F. LAREAU
Paul F. Lareau, 78, of Brookfield, passed away August 7.
He was an Army veteran.
Beloved husband of Kathleen Lareau (nee Quinn); loving father of Carol (James) Barlow, Jennifer (Tim) Baxa, Karen (Sanjay) Patel, Elizabeth Lareau; dear grandfather of Kate, Leigh, Anne Barlow, Ellie, Maddie, Mimi Baxa, Ailey, Neela, Finley and Ian Patel; brother of Suzanne Lareau; brother in law and uncle of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held August 11 at Hitzeman Funeral Home Ltd. 9445 W. 31st St., Brookfield. Funeral was held August 12 at St. Louise de Marillac Church, La Grange Park. Interment private. Memorials appreciated to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 E. Ohio St., Chicago IL 60611 or Pillars Community Health, 23 Calendar Avenue, LaGrange IL 60525.
THOMAS JAMES METZGER
Thomas James Metzger, formerly of Lemont, passed away August 5.
Beloved husband of Audrey (nee Johnson); loving father of Ben (Christina) Metzger, Heidi (Eric) Kolodziejczyk and Eric (Ashley) Metzger; dearest grandfather of Ella and Adam; dear brother of Linda Bending, Michael (Patricia) Metzger, Sr., Cynthia (Robert) Lucio and the late James Metzger, Jr.; fond son-in-law of Norma and the late Orville Johnson; uncle of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held August 17 at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church, Lemont, a funeral Mass followed. Arrangements by Zarzycki Manor Chapels.
WALTER “WLADYSLAW” MIETUS
Walter “Wladyslaw” Mietus, 82, passed away July 27.
Beloved husband of Maria (nee Biela) Mietus; loving father of Tessie “Czeslawa” (Andrew) Kwiecien, Sophia (John) Barnard and Christina Mietus; dear grandfather of Ashley (Michal) Siemion and Tiffany Kwiecien; cherished son of the late Kunegunda (nee Rafacz) and the late Franciszek Mietus; fond brother of the late Jozef Pasieka. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visitation was held July 30 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held July 31 at Saint Fabian Church, 7450 W. 83rd St., Bridgeview for Mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery, Justice.
CARMEN MYSEK
Carmen Mysek, 91, of Chicago, passed away July 29.
Beloved wife of the late Walter Mysek; loving mother of Aldo Mysek and Anne Cappy; dear grandmother of Tim Cappy, Lauren Chavosky, Kelly Cappy and Dominique Bloink; dearest great-grandmother; cherished daughter of the late Rosa Ortiz de Castillon and the late Adelberto Penafiel. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Funeral was held August 3 at Nativity B.V.M Church, 6812 S. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago. Interment, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Alsip. Arrangements entrusted to care of Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice.
MARTHA R. STEELE
Martha R. Steele (nee Martinelli), 98, passed away peacefully at her home in Las Vegas on August 10. Former longtime resident of Justice, Bedford Park and Garfield Ridge.
Loving wife of the late George, beloved sister of the late Lucy (late Mike) Tarantini, late Viola (late Jack) Denton, late Harriet (late John) McAlister, late Irene (late Harold) Gaskins, late Mary (Charles) Burbridge. Loving aunt and great aunt of many nieces and nephews as well as loving friend to many.
Martha worked at Corn Products for more than 40 years.
Visitation will be held at Hastings Funeral Home in Morgantown, WV, on August 26. Funeral service will be on August 27. For more information 304-292-8664.
ANNE SWEETIN
Anne I. Sweetin (nee Tarnowski), affectionally known as Honey, 95, of Wheaton, passed away December 1, 2020.
She was the beloved wife of the late Hershel Sweetin; cherished mother of Melodye Anne Sweetin and the late Edwin Adamczyk; devoted grandmother of Beth Ellyn McCauley and Edwin Adamczyk, and lovingly known as Grandma Anne to Nora Kate and Aidan; great grandmother of Jennifer and Rebecca and great great grandmother of Ilyiana and Jaden. Anne will be missed by her sisters, Sofia Peterson and Emily Luthern. She was preceded in death by her other siblings, Irene, Stella, Stanley, Valentine, Jane and Bernard.
A memorial visitation in celebration of Anne’s life will be held Friday, August 20, from 11 a.m. until time of celebration of life service at 1 p.m. at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave., Summit. There will be a procession to Resurrection Cemetery where Anne will be laid to rest. Condolences may be sent to Anne’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
ANTONI WROBEL
Antoni Wrobel, 87, passed away July 30.
Beloved husband of the late Maria (nee Sadlowska) Wrobel; loving father of Malgorzata (Stanislaw) Hendrzak, Bozena “Bonnie” (Jacek) Pyzowski, Ewa (Zygmunt) Jedynasty, Rafal (Anna) Wrobel, Stanislaw (Alicja) Wrobel and Sylwia (Mariusz) Wilk; dear grandfather of Slawek, the late Krzysztof, Lukasz, Alina, Elzbieta, Mariusz, Monika, Daniel, Beata, Patrycja, Stasiu, Oliwia, Natalia, Daniel, Kuba and Michal; dearest great-grandfather of Brandon, Calvin, Sara, Izabella, Emma Rose and Noa; cherished son of the late Michalina (nee Zawadzka) and the late Jan Wrobel. Preceded in death by his brothers and sisters. Fond uncle of nieces and nephews. Also survived by relatives and friends in Poland and USA.
Visitation was held August 5 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held August 6 at Saint Faustina Kowalska Church, 5255 S. McVicker Ave., Chicago. Interment, Resurrection Cemetery, Justice.
Local News
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Larger crowds returning to Hills Chamber Business Expo
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Woman’s club, cadets highlight cheerful Palos Park meeting
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Chicago Ridge cops to get body cameras
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Neighbors
OLHMS educator nominated for Women Changing the World Award
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Heather McCarthy is constantly inspiring her students at Oak Lawn-Hometown to be everything they can be. As a woman and an educator, she believes all goals are obtainable. It was no surprise to her staff members or students at OLHMS, 5345 W. 99th Place in Oak Lawn, that McCarthy, of…
Contest Play from Richards wins state drama championship
Spread the loveThe Contest Play of “Macbeth” from Richards High School won first place last weekend at the Illinois High School Association competitive drama state finals. After years of finishing among the top productions, Richards won its first state crown in the category. Mike Badger, Jon Nebor, Lauren Davis, Claudia Baranowski, and Rick Keeley served…
OLHMS festival celebrates student cultures
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Oak Lawn students recently held a full day celebration of all of the cultures in the Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School community. Cleverly called International Fest or iFest, the day acknowledged 19 different cultures of students at the school at 5345 W. 99th Street in Oak Lawn. Cultures featured included…
Palos South basketball places 2nd in SWIC Conference, 1st in North Division
Spread the lovePalos South Middle School’s eighth-grade boys’ basketball team finished second in the post season Southwest Interscholastic Conference in March. The Cardinals completed the season with a 13-3 record and finished first in the North Division. During the championship game, the team lost 55-52 to undefeated Century Junior High following a last second 3-point…
Lightning starts fire in Orland Park home’s attic
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A lightning strike Sunday afternoon caused a small fire in the attic of an Orland Park home in the 13200 block of Harvest Crossing in the Silo Ridge subdivision. Officials of the Orland Fire Protection District said the fire started around 5 p.m. Sunday when a storm rolled through the…
Larger crowds returning to Hills Chamber Business Expo
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Phyllis Majka, president of the Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the organization’s annual Business and Community Expo is an opportunity for everyone to gather after a long winter. The irony was not lost on Majka and chamber members that while the calendar indicates spring, snow flurries were falling outside. “But we are doing quite…
Orland voters to decide who has power between mayor and village manager
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva There is no mayoral election going on in Orland Park this year but this has the feel of mayoral elections from the recent past. Keith Pekau’s foes are coming out in full force this year, comparing him to Lori Lightfoot and Vladimir Putin, which he doesn’t appreciate, by the way.…
Palos South friends, classmates miss Jake’s laughter
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The halls at Palos South Middle School are not as loud as they used to be. That’s because Jake Kaminski isn’t around to make the other kids laugh. Jake died earlier this month in a skiing accident in Wisconsin. His family was trying to take advantage of the long Pulaski…
Woman’s club, cadets highlight cheerful Palos Park meeting
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The meeting before Tuesday’s election in Palos Park was free of controversy. After a few recent meetings were packed with people and featured some strife, the March 27 village council meeting was packed but full of joy and accomplishments. Many were on hand from the Palos Park Woman’s Club, an…
Chicago Ridge cops to get body cameras
Spread the loveBy Dermot Connolly The Chicago Ridge Police Department is moving ahead with plans to purchase body cameras for officers, something that has been under consideration for a few years. Police Chief Jim Jarolimek told the Village Board at its March 21 meeting that the police department received a quote that day from Motorola…
