PETER JOSEPH ABRUZZO
Peter Joseph Abruzzo, 81 years old and a longtime resident of Lombard, died Thursday, December 10, 2020. He was preceded in death by his parents, Peter and Theresa (nee Cannella), his sister, Ann and sister-in-law, Carol Carpentier. He is survived by his loving family: his wife of 59 years, Nancy; daughters Ann (Frank) Adrian, Terri (David) Abruzzo Callahan and son, Peter (Teri) Abruzzo; grandchildren Ben Adrian, Jenna (Cory) Adrian Martin, Joseph Adrian, Jack and Paul Callahan, Dominic and Vincent Abruzzo, and Jeffrey and Joey Ford; brother John; brothers-in-law Alan Werkmeister and Michael Carpentier; nephews John Werkmeister, Chris Carpentier and John Abruzzo, Jr. and niece Michelle Meinzer; many cousins and special cousin Frank (Deb) Abruzzo.
Peter was born on April 21, 1939, in Chicago. His grandparents were Italian immigrants who came through Ellis Island in the early 1900s. His family moved to Villa Park where Peter graduated from York High School. There he made many lifelong friends. In 1959, he met his wife and the love of his life, Nancy Hall, at Northern Illinois University where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. While at Northern, he was an active member and officer of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Many of his TKE brothers remained close friends until his death.
In 1961, he began a career in education that lasted until 1999. After beginning in District 15, he went on to serve the Glenbard community in District 87 as a teacher, counselor, career education director, Guidance Director, Assistant Principal and ultimately Principal at Glenbard South High School from 1975-1994. Peter, an athlete, was also a coach throughout his life. He finished his work in education with a stint in the District 87 Superintendent’s office in 1998-1999. Peter was a valued mentor to many in the community. His colleagues, students and their parents became friends, and they continued to reach out to him for the rest of his life due to the positive impact he had on their lives.
Peter was an active member of the Glen Ellyn Rotary Club from 1979-1995. He served as President of the Club from 1984-1985, was a Paul Harris fellow and recently helped celebrate the Club’s 75th anniversary.
Peter enjoyed walking, reading and quiet time spent with his wife, Nancy. He was a loving and beloved husband, father and grandfather who passed his affinity for literature on to his children and grandchildren. Peter and his family enjoyed many special trips to Door County, Wisconsin, Sanibel Island, Florida and Saugatuck, Michigan, often with all or many of his family members together. He loved nothing more than the many hours and days he spent with his love, Nancy.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Peter J. Abruzzo Scholarship at the Partners for Educational Progress, Glenbard District 87, 596 Crescent Blvd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.
Private Family Funeral Services were held Tuesday, December 15, with Private Family Visitation at Brust Funeral Home, followed by Private Funeral Mass at Christ the King. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.
Info www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094.
GLORIA J. ACKERMAN
Gloria J. Ackerman age 69, of Itasca, died Dec. 8, 2020.
Funeral services will be held Friday Dec. 18, 2020, with a Visitation from 11 a.m. until time of funeral service at 1 p.m. at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Interment will follow at Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094.
STANLEY W. BAKULSKI SR.
Stanley W. Bakulski Sr., age 70, of Lombard, died December 9, 2020, at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Stanley was the loving husband of Donna nee Jensen; loving father of Stanley, Jr., of Lombard; dear brother of Helen Nycz of McHenry, Richard (Linda) of Bartlett, and John (Mary) of Nebraska; fond uncle of many; and great-uncle of many.
Stanley was a Veteran of the Vietnam era. He grew up in Chicago and had lived in Lombard for the past 27 years.
Stanley was a retired machinist. He enjoyed racquetball and bowling and was a fan of the White Sox.
Memorials in Stanley’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 (www.woundedwarriorproject.org) or the American Cancer Society, 1801 S. Meyers Rd., Suite 100, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 appreciated.
Arrangements by Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for information.
MILDRED GRACE BARKER
Mildred Grace Barker (Millie), nee Waitz, passed away on Dec. 7, 2020, at the age of 90.
Funeral Services were held Sunday, Dec. 12, at Brust Funeral Home. Interment Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for information.
JEFFREY W. BERGANDINE
Jeffrey W. Bergandine, age 54, of Wheaton, died Dec.10, 2020.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Dec. 17, 3-8 p.m. at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 547 N Main St, Lombard. Funeral Service will Friday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m. Interment to follow at Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn.
Arrangements by Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for info.
NORMAN DUDDRIDGE JR.
Mr. Norman John Duddridge Jr., 70, passed away peacefully at home in Kirksey, Kentucky, surrounded by family on Sunday, December 6, 2020.
Stormin’ Norm was a loving husband and father, friend to everyone he met, and master blues guitarist. He was a musician’s musician, living and breathing for every note.
His passion for music was rivaled only by his sense of humor! With one foot in the blues and the other in rock and roll, he was born on September 10, 1950, to Norman Sr. and Irene Duddridge. Norm grew up in Villa Park, and attended Willowbrook High
School. It was then that he met his first love— the guitar.
His storied career in music includes countless rowdy nights making noise with the likes of Chicagoland legends: The Ikons, Condor, Lord Zipper, Take This, and Bluesmyth, just to name a few.
In 1974, he married his second love, Linda Giannini. Together, they raised three children/roadies—Minjah, Kimberly and Christopher. Later in life, Norm battled several debilitating health conditions and upon retirement, Norm and Linda moved to the beautiful rolling hills of western Kentucky.
He is survived by wife Linda (nee Giannini), daughters Minjah (Perry) and Kimberly, son Christopher, grandson Miles, many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
He is preceded in death by his father, Norman Sr., mother Irene, and sister Linda.
Raise a glass and turn it up because heaven just got a little louder! In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House, 803 Poplar Street, Murray KY 42071.
Memorial services will be held at a later time.
Imes Funeral Home and Crematory, downtown Murray is entrusted with caring for the family of Mr. Norman Duddridge.
JOAN FERRARA
Joan Ferrara, nee Salvitti, age 84 of Lombard. Beloved wife of the late Dominic Ferrara; loving mother of Karen (James) Ziganto, Stephen (Diana) Ferrara, Diane (Mark) Kowalczyk, Susan (John) Sheehan; devoted grandmother of Dana (Miles) Beatty, Jené, Danielle Ziganto, Michael (Lenka), Kathryn, Annelise Ferrara, Matthew, Zachary, Nicole Kowalczyk, Luke, Kyle, and Alexa Sheehan; Great-grandmother of Miles, Macallan, and Leo Beatty, and Dominic Ferrara; fond sister of Louis (Dulcenia) Salvitti, Lorraine Kornblith, and the late Nicoletta Salvitti; aunt of many nieces and nephews.
Together with Dominic, the love of her life, Joan welcomed every visitor with a wide smile and a warm hug. No one was a stranger in Joan’s home. Pots of spaghetti sauce (“gravy”) and fresh coffee were always ready in her kitchen, along with lively conversation on politics and business. Most importantly, Joan’s family was her pride and joy. From Friday night family pasta and pizza dinners to her legendary Christmas traditions, including Christmas Eve bingo complete with an impressive spread of traditional Italian dishes, Joan’s home was the center of the family. Joan and Dom were always ready to break out into dance and often could be seen doing the Jitterbug in their living room. Always keeping her extended family close, Joan hosted the family Olympics in her backyard, and her refrigerator was a picture collage that documented every major event of her beloved grandchildren.
Joan was well known in the Lombard business community. As co-owner of Ziganto’s hair salon for 18 years, Joan shaped her salon into the first stop for a generation of brides’ wedding parties and prom dates. Joan was also a very active volunteer in the village of Lombard. She dedicated her time to her church, local politicians, and the Chamber of Commerce. A tireless volunteer at St. Pius X Church, Joan could be seen organizing and decorating for countless Church events when she was not working with her friends in the CCW.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, services and interment will be private. A livestream of the Mass of Christian Burial for Joan, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 19, will be available at www.knollcrest.net. Memorials in Joan’s honor to American Cancer Society, 1801 Meyers Rd #100, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, are appreciated. For more info: (630) 932-1500.
JEANETTE SMOK
Jeanette Smok, age 90, of Lombard. Beloved wife of the late Chester John Smok; loving mother of Sheilah Marie (Frank A.) Pearsall, Peter John (Tracey) Smok, and David Jeffrey Smok; devoted grandmother of Samantha Catherine Pearsall, and Matthew Eric and Christina Brianna Smok; fond sister of Otto (Butch) Fandrei, Theodore Fandrei, Hank Fandrei, and Henry Snedden; aunt and dear friend of many.
Jeanette was a dedicated mother and a very doting grandmother. Her grandchildren called her Nana. She was able to attend each high school and college graduation, as well as many other events that were important to her grandchildren (competitions, athletic events, band concerts, etc). She was an AVID reader – (mainly romance and mystery novels). She loved to garden, loved looking out the back door at the plants, shrubs and trees in her yard especially the lilac bushes and her Redbud Tree. When her mobility decreased, she maintained tomato and pepper plants on the deck.
She loved always having bouquets of fresh flowers in the house. She recently had the water fountain she and Chester had wanted for many years installed in the garden (a lotus flower). Jeanette was an extraordinary nurse – many families specifically requested her as their nurse during their office visits at Hinsdale Pediatrics. She also LOVED to shop – Von Maur in Yorktown was her “happy place”! The sales associates remembered her every time and always greeted her warmly.
Funeral Service was Thursday, December 10, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1165 S. Westmore Meyers Road, Lombard. Interment Assumption Cemetery. Memorials to Trinity Lutheran Church or Angel’s Grace Hospice are appreciated. Funeral Info: 630-932-1500.
ROBERT B. WEISS
Robert B. Weiss, 94, of Lombard, left this world the way he always hope to do so—he passed peacefully in his sleep in his own bed. He will be greatly missed by his daughters, Sue Budak and Laurie Martin. His sister, Margaret Zapala, of Palm Springs, California, will miss her Sunday evening chats with Bob. Sharing in their grief are Laurie’s husband, Al Martin, their daughter, Audrey Martin, Audrey’s wife, Sharon Brosnan, and Sue’s son, Rob Budak. Audrey and Sharon’s children, Reid, Owen, and Laine, will feel the loss of growing up without Great-Grandpa.
Bob was born at 843 Thomas Ave. in Forest Park, in an age when children were born at home. His father, Louis Stephens Weiss, a baker, and his mother, Emma Amolia Weiss (nee Liska) raised him during the Depression, which led to a lifelong principle of being frugal and searching out a “good deal.” His childhood next-door neighbor, Esther, remained his life-long friend.
Just short of his high school graduation ceremony, Bob was drafted to serve in the Army in World War II. He began his military career as a communications lineman for the 278th Field Artillery Battalion, and after the end of the war in Europe, he became the driver for Brigadier General Edward C. Betts, Judge Advocate, U.S. Forces European Theater. With General Betts, he attended the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals.
When Bob’s father died, his mother asked the Red Cross to bring him home from the war so he could support her and his sister, Margaret. Bob tried several jobs, and found that he enjoyed tool and die work. With two partners, he started Jen-Rel Mold and Machine, a company that made steel molds for rubber company products. He married Theresa S. Allie on June 30, 1956, and had three children in four years, moving to Lombard to accommodate the growing family. He lived in the same house on Potomac Avenue until his death.
Bob always had a hobby, and sometimes several at a time. In his younger days, he enjoyed fixing clocks, photography, radio-controlled planes, citizen-band radios, motorcycles, and boating in the Chain of Lakes. Every Sunday after church, he walked the aisles of Koehler’s Trading Post, purchasing items that caught his eye or parts for something that needed fixing. (He could fix anything; and his children are glad that he let them look over his shoulder and hand him tools, because now they are handy also.) After his youngest child graduated high school, he returned to an earlier love by purchasing a plane and taking trips with the “Breakfast Club” on weekends, a hobby he shared with his son, Richard. After retirement, his collection of cameras, cigarette lighters, watches, toy guns and bric-a-brac grew as he visited garage sales, estate sales, and auctions with his friend, Frank.
After Theresa’s death in 2001, he made friends with a group of men who ate each night at the Grove Restaurant in Lombard, and then became a “counter bum” at Hi-View Restaurant in Villa Park. He met his friend Ruth at her garage sale, and they enjoyed each other’s company for several years until her death.
In his later years, Bob began sharing memories of his war experiences with family and friends. In 2010, Bob traveled with his family to Paris and the cities in Germany in which he served. The following year, he traveled to Washington, DC with Honor Flight Chicago for a day of honor and remembrance. VFW Lilac Post 5815 inducted him as an honorary member, and Bob rode in the Lombard Lilac Parades with them. He was interviewed at the Palm Springs Air Museum for the Veterans History Project Collection of the Library of Congress and by Ellie Rutan for the Legacy of Our Fathers Project.
Bob was predeceased by his wife, Theresa Allie Weiss, his brother, Father William A. Weiss, his son, Richard R. Weiss, and his son-in-law, Mark W. Budak.
A devout Catholic, Bob attended weekly Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Lombard. A funeral mass for the immediate family was celebrated there on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. The family will hold a memorial service at a later date, when family and friends can gather safely without restrictions.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Honor Flight Chicago (https://www.honorflightchicago.org) or to your favorite charity. The family also asks relatives and friends to share a memory on the Tribute Wall at Knollcrest Funeral Home (knollcrest.net).
