
Obituaries March 3, 2023
HELENA BAFIA
Helena Bafia (nee Wodziak), 87, of Chicago’s Archer Heights community, passed away February 21.
Beloved wife of the late Bronislaw Bafia; loving mother of Maria (Jozef) Korkosz, Jozef (Anna) Bafia and Jane Ligas; dearest grandmother of Ryszard (Magdalena) Korkosz, Renata (Przemysław) Latos, Krzysztof (Malgorzata) Korkosz, Robert (Dominika) Korkosz, Mariusz (Katarzyna) Bafia and Malgorzata Bafia, Ralph (Agata) Ligas and Matthew Ligas; dear great grandmother of Kacper, Maciej, Kamil, Gabriel, Julia, Jakub, Veronika, Patrycja and Mateusz; devoted daughter of the late Ludwika (nee Gawel) and late Jan Wodziak; also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
Helena was a member of Kolo Nr. 42 Bialka Tatrzańska.
Visitation was held February 24 at Zarzycki Manor Chapels Ltd., 5088 S. Archer Avenue, Chicago. Funeral was held February 25 from the funeral home to the Church of St. Richard for Mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
DEBORAH BARRETT
Deborah Barrett, 67, passed away January 26.
Beloved wife of the late Frank Barrett, Sr.; loving mom of Vicki (Mark), Kathy (James,Sr.), Melissa (Frank), Dana (Eric), Donna (Angel), the late Richie, and Frank (Brianna) and furry baby Gizmo; dear grandmother of Nicholas, Brittany, James Jr., Frank, Christopher, Mark Jr., Anthony, Joshua, Matthew, Brandon, Alexis, Eddie, Erin, Angel III, and Ethan; cherished nana of Lauren, Blake, Autumn, Bryce, Hunter, and Brielle; dear sister of Diane, Shirley, Walter, Dawn, Danny, the late Sharon, the late Wayne, the late Kare, the late Ray, the late Kathy, the late Kenny and the late Barb. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations please be made to Grace Lutheran Church.
Visitation was held January 29 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held January 30 at Grace Lutheran Church, 212 S. Nolton Avenue, Willow Springs. Interment, Bethania Cemetery, Justice.
JORGE CALDERON
Jorge Calderon, 77, of Chicago’s Clearing community, passed away January 29.
Beloved husband of Rosario Calderon; loving father of Edward (Jannette Nuñez) Calderon; proud grandfather of Karina, Edward and Alexandra; dear brother of the late Carlos, Susana, the late Yolanda, Alicia, Rosa, Dolores and the late Angela; fond uncle of many nieces and nephews.
A Visitation in Celebration of Jorge’s life was held February 8 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. A Service in Honor of Jorge followed that evening. Condolences may be sent to Jorge’s family on his personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
ANNA IZABELLA CHODOROWSKA
Anna Izabella Chodorowska (nee Sobecka), 86, of Western Springs, formerly of Chicago, passed away February 12.
Beloved wife of the late Wiesław Tadeusz “Ted” Chodorowski; loving mother of Beata (Keith) Niebrugge, Izabella (Johann) Stefnis, Joanna Chodorowska and Jolanta (Derek) Oliver; dearest grandmother of Alexandra (Matthew) Behan, Paulina Niebrugge, Natalia Niebrugge, Jacob Niebrugge, Sofia Oliver and Justin Oliver; dear sister of the late Teresa Hughes; loving aunt of Jolanta Sobecka and Dominik (Ewa) Hughes with his family.
Visitation was held February 23 at St. Hyacinth Basilica, 3636 W. Wolfram Street, Chicago. Funeral Mass followed. Inurnment Maryhill Cemetery, Niles. Arrangements by Zarzycki Manor Chapels Ltd.
LINDALU ELAINE DJUPSTROM
Lindalu Elaine Djupstrom, 86, of Menominee, Mich., formerly of Chicago, passed away February 20.
Linda is survived by her sons Bruce (Janice) and Dale (Dee) Djupstrom; daughter Sherry (James) Barr; 6 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents Emil and Mildred (Jurgens) Nelson; husband Gordon; sisters Audrey Anderson and Twila Beard; step-father Tip Nelson; niece Kristin; and son in law Michael Conrad.
Visitation was held at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in Stephenson on February 25 until time of Funeral Service. Burial will be at Bethesda Cemetery in the spring. Anderson Diehm Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
ZBIGNIEW GACEK
Zbigniew Gacek, 49, of Hickory Hills, passed away on February 21.
He was the devoted son of the late Helena (nee Rychtarczyk) and late Wladyslaw Gacek; dearest brother of Krzysztof and Irena (Jan) Mucha; dear uncle of Jessica, Mark and Nicole Mucha.
Funeral services were held February 25 from Zarzycki Manor Chapels, 8899 S. Archer Ave., Willow Springs, to Sacred Heart Church. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
JOSEPH GUADAGNO
Joseph Guadagno, 77, of Cicero, passed away January 31.
He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Bernadette (nee Domaracki) and his parents Joseph and Helen B. (nee Kucharski) Guadagno. Survived by his sister, Cynthia Hitson (nee Guadagno) and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Adrienne and Bob Kowalsky. Uncle to 5 nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held February 7 until time of Prayers at Foran Funeral Home 7300 W. Archer Ave. (55th street just west of Harlem. Procession from the funeral home to St. Daniel the Prophet Church for Mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery where Joe was laid to rest next to his dear wife. Condolences may be sent to Joseph’s family on his personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
DARLENE R. JELENIEWSKI
Darlene R. Jeleniewski, 66, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community, passed away February 2.
Beloved wife of Barry; loving mother of Danny (Ella) Phillips, Anthony (Amanda) Jeleniewski and Lisa (Rick Struglinski) Jeleniewski; cherished grandmother of Sean, Emily (Keith), Danny Jr., Cleo, Natalie, Anthony, Madeline, Amelia, Abigail and Leighton; dear great-grandmother of Avory, Aubrey, Aaliyah, and the late Emmilynn.
Visitation was held February 9 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Visitation was held February 10 until time of Celebration of Life Service. Procession from the funeral home to Bethania Cemetery where Darlene will be laid to rest. Condolences may be sent to Darlene’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
DANIEL H. KOSTUSH
Daniel H. Kostush, 31, of Chicago’s Clearing community, passed away January 26.
Loving father of Hailey; cherished son of Jo Ann and the late Keith Kostush; dear brother of Christina LaBelle and his loved niece Ashley LaBelle; loving grandson of Mary and the late Harold Roethle and the late Daniel and late Dorothy Kostush. Daniel will be missed by his many aunts, uncles and cousins.
A memorial visitation in celebration of Daniels’ life was held February 6 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Condolences may be sent to Daniel’s family on his personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
DENNIS JOHN KUCHARZAK
Dennis John Kucharzak, 72, of North Judson, Ind., formerly of Chicago’s Brighton Park community, died February 2 in his home surrounded by family.
He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Cheryl Kucharzak (née Woike) and their children, William Kucharzak (Sarah Polito), Daniel Kucharzak, Hannah Kucharzak (Paul A. Gonter), and Charles Kucharzak.
Visitation was held February 16 at Zarzycki Manor Chapels Ltd., 5088 S. Archer Avenue, Chicago. Funeral Mass was held February 17 at Five Holy Martyrs Church, 4327 S. Richmond, Chicago. Arrangements by Zarzycki Manor Chapels Ltd.
WILLIAM “BILL” MATEJA
William “Bill” Mateja, 72, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community, passed away January 30.
Beloved husband of Diane; loving father of Michael, Rose and Natalie (Matt Culich) Mateja; dear brother of Brother Adam M.S., Margaret (Donald) Wieckert and Theresa (Robert Lozins) Mateja; brother-in-law of Casey and John (Tina) Barauskis; fond uncle of Anthony and Nicholas.
Visitation was held February 5 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Visitation was held February 6 at the funeral home until time of Prayers. Procession from the funeral home to St. Daniel the Prophet Church for mass. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Rose’s account MFA#6025A at Misericordia Heart of Mercy at www.misericordia.com
Please offer your thoughts and condolences to Bill’s family on his personal tribute website at, www.foranfuneralhome.com.
LAURA MARY MURPHY
Laura Mary Murphy (nee Morrone), 77, passed away January 2.
Beloved mother of Kerry Elizaabeth Murphy; cherished daughter of the late Pauline and the late Pasquale Morrone; dearest sister of Elizabeth Esterly. Also lovingly survived by Tony Esterly, Andrew Esterly, Jake Esterly, Phyllis Cooney, Dave Andrews, Jim Andrews and George Andrews.
Memorial donations may be made to Operation Christmas Child.
Visitation was held January 14 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held January 14 at the funeral home. Interment, Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.
MARCELLA T. NEWLAND
Marcella T. Newland (nee Doniek), 93, of Brookline, Missouri, formerly of Chicago, passed away January 30.
Beloved mother of Teri (Rodney) Zeman; loving grandmother of Tim and Reggie; dear sister of the late Chestra (late Paul) Bernatek, late Bernard (late Jean) Doniek, late Bernice (late Victor) Ziomek, late Genevieve (late Steve) Szynal and the late Helen (late Bernhardt) Kinnunen. Fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Visitation was held February 7 at Foran Funeral Home, 7300 W. Archer Ave. in Summit. Visitation was held February 8 at the funeral home until Celebration of Life Service. Interment Chapel Hill Garden South Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to Marcella’s family on her personal tribute website at www.foranfuneralhome.com.
LLIA SHEMCHUK
llia Shemchuk, 50, passed away January 13.
Beloved husband of Maryna (nee Kryvotulska) Shemchuk; loving dad of Anastasiia (Daniel) Garza and Dmytro Shemchuk; dear grandpa of Nikita; cherished son of Dmytro and the late Maria Shemchuk; fond son-in-law of Yevheniia and the late Roman Kryvotulska; dear brother-in-law of Yevheniia (Vitaliy) Samilyak; dear uncle of Maksim and Victoria Samilyak. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Visitation was held January 17 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Funeral was held January 17 at the funeral home. Cremation rites to be accorded.
THOMAS L. WILLIAMS
Thomas L. Williams, 75, passed away January 10.
He was an Air Force veteran.
Beloved husband of the late Sharon Williams; loving father of the late Stephanie Williams, Michael Williams, Luke (Melissa) Williams and Lee Williams; dear grandfather of Jessica Williams and Taylor Williams; dearest great-grandfather of Alayah; cherished son of the late Leona (nee Barirunas) and the late Durward Williams; fond brother of the late Bruce Williams and the late Bonnie Williams. Also survived by relatives and friends.
Visitation was held January 28 at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice. Cremation rites have been accorded.
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Neighbors

Baseball | Chicago Christian kicks off Brandon Hickey era with win over Bremen
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent Brandon Hickey is optimistic about his first season as head coach of the Chicago Christian baseball team. The Knights struggled to an 11-18-1 record last year, when Hickey was an assistant. But he saw some things to be excited about. “We saw we had a lot of talent last…

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Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 My family took a walk around West Elsdon with 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, her son and some residents of the community on March 12. We were hanging ribbons in memory of CPD Officer…

Something smells at 62nd and Washtenaw
Spread the love. . By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 From time to time I’ll mention something I’ve caught on the downtown TV news that I know won’t make the front page here, but I think you’ll be interested in, since it has a…

Campaigns over, time to lead
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Now that the aldermanic part of the city elections is over, it’s time for aldermen to let go of campaigning and get down to the business of being aldermen. We have all seen enough photo ops of politicians posing…

College Notebook | Marist grad Alex Knight slaying buckets for Lake Forest
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Lake Forest College’s Alex Knight has been named to the All-Midwest Conference First Team in men’s basketball for the 2022-23 season. Knight, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard who prepped at Marist, was the league’s leading scorer this season, averaging 18.1 points per conference game. He finished third in the MWC…

Pro Sports Report | SeatGeek to host Major League Rugby championship; Hounds sniff out first win
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer SeatGeek Stadium, host of the expansion Chicago Hounds, will host this season’s Major League Rugby championship game. The game is scheduled to be played July 8 in Bridgeview. It will air nationally on FOX. “Moving the championship match to a predetermined venue has long been a goal of…

Area Sports Roundup | Nazareth grads Martinucci, Evans have unfinished business at NJCAA National Tourney
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Martinucci family carries a lot of weight in the Berwyn-Cicero area. Tony Martinucci has coached boys basketball at Morton High School for 24 years, racking up five regional titles and a trio of conference crowns during his tenure. His daughter, Jovanna, is hoping to do something even…

‘He’s our brother’
Spread the love. Clearing, Garfield Ridge mourn Officer Vásquez Lasso By Tim Hadac Chicago Police Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso didn’t live in Clearing or Garfield Ridge—he lived east of the airport, in West Lawn—but he and his family were essentially adopted by as many as 700 men, women and children here earlier this month.…

$15 million expansion for Stagg approved
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education last week approved a $15 million expansion at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills. The expansion will include much-needed classroom space, several science labs, offices and teacher workspace, as well as a rooftop environmental learning space. The project is…