GLENNA HELEN GOBLIRSCH
Glenna Helen Goblirsch, age 70, of Woodridge and formerly of Lombard, passed away Sunday, August 30, 2020.
Glenna was the loving wife of John; beloved mother of Anton (Melissa) Feitlich and Maria Krisch; caring daughter of the late Glen and the late DesNeiges Krisch; cherished grandmother of Molly Feitlich, Paige Feitlich, Melissa Allen and James A. Smith; dear sister of the late Daniel, Timothy, Michael, Dee Rechenmacher, the late Katherine “Kammy” Ramseth, Sean, and Sheilah Hyland; fond aunt to many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Glenna’s name may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 161 N. Clark, Suite 3550, Chicago, IL 60601, or www.mda.org.
Services pending. For more information please call (630) 629-0094 or visit brustfuneralhome.com.
RHODA NEUKUCKATZ
Rhoda Neukuckatz, nee Ziemann, age 92, passed away Aug. 27, 2020.
A Funeral Service will be held Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1:30 p.m. at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. A visitation will follow until 4:30 p.m. A private family burial will be on Tuesday at Bethania Cemetery in Justice, Illinois.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for more information.
THOMAS J. MASTERSON
Thomas J. Masterson, age 65, passed away at his home with his family by his side on Sunday, August 16. He is survived by his parents, Robert and Joan; siblings, Bob (Nancy), Terry (Sherry), Sean and Julie; his wife, Cindy; his children, Alyssa (Ben) and Evan (Inga); and his granddaughters, Rowan and Harper.
Tom grew up in Lombard on E. Maple St and attended Sacred Heart Grade School, Montini High School and St. Mary’s University. He was a lifelong Cubs fan and an avid fisherman. Tom was barred from entry into a yearly fishing competition at his favorite summer vacation spot in northern Wisconsin because his fishing prowess made it impossible for other contestants to win. While Tom had many interests such baseball, fishing and SCUBA diving, he never lost sight of the two things that were most important to him: family and community service.
Tom was a very successful businessman who owned his own company (Thomas J. Masterson and Company). In 2018 Tom’s son Evan joined the business and Tom was very proud to help him start his career in insurance. Even though Tom worked long hours running his business and tended his many rental properties in the area, he somehow always found the time to be with and support his family. This can be seen through his weekly breakfasts with his sister Julie, his Friday afternoon visits to his parents and all of Evan’s and Alyssa’s little league teams Tom coached throughout the years.
Tom was a family man who knew the importance of spending time with those he loved. Which is why Tom altered his work schedule when his granddaughters entered his life. At least once a week Tom took a morning off from work to take his granddaughter Rowan out to breakfast, play at the park or even to Cub games. Even though it was only a few short years, Tom enriched his granddaughter’s lives in an indescribable way.
Tom also took immense pride in being from Lombard and wanted to help restore and protect the beauty of his hometown. With the help of his wife Cindy, Tom bought and tirelessly restored two buildings at 128-32 and 134 West St. Charles Road in Lombard. Both buildings, one built in 1875 and the other in 1927, were restored and granted Local Landmark status by the Lombard Historic Preservation Commission (LHPC).
Tom and Cindy’s hard work was recognized in 2019 by the LHPC when they were given the William J. Muller Heritage Award for their leadership and stewardship in historic preservation.
Tom’s mother Joan was at one time on the governing board of the Marian Park Apartment Community in Wheaton, IL, an income-eligible community for families and seniors. It was through his mother that Tom discovered that many children in this community had no direction and were struggling in school. This did not sit well with Tom, so he started a tutoring program to help guide these children to a better life. For 32 years, Tom tutored children, met with teachers, and attended parent/teacher conferences with children whose parents didn’t speak fluent English. Tom created a “Math Club” where only a few select children, who needed help but showed a desire to improve, came over to his house, enjoyed a meal and worked on improving their studies.
Many of these children are now adults and were heartbroken when they heard of Tom’s passing. “I heard the news and I’m so deeply sorry. Tom is one of the few people that made me chase my dreams and for greater things.” (T.A.) “Tom was more like a father in my life. He always made sure my homework was done and I was always getting help with my studies.” (A.T.) “Tom was a strong man with a heart of gold. He has positively impacted so many lives at Marian Park and his legacy will live on.” (R.H.)
Tom’s family would like to follow in his footsteps and continue to help the Marian Park Community. Thomas J. Masterson Memorial Scholarship Fund has been set up to aid the young men and women of Marian Park seeking higher education. If you are interested in donating or learning more about the scholarship, please email Tom’s daughter, Alyssa Carter, at [email protected].
