DIANE RITA ANDERSON
Diane Rita Anderson, nee Schweihs, age 70, of Macks Creek, Missouri, passed away on Friday July 3, 2020 at her home. She was born July 18, 1949, in Chicago.
Wife of the late Bruce Anderson. Loving daughter of the late Jerome and Dolores Schweihs. Dear sister of Betty (Kenneth) Dahm, Steve Schweihs and the late Carol Schweihs Natoli. Fond aunt of Alex Dahm. Dear niece of Ruth and Donna Schweihs and cousin of many.
Diane grew up in Villa Park, graduated from Willowbrook High School in 1967, and worked in accounting for insurance agencies her whole career. Diane retired and moved to Macks Creek, Missouri, in 2001. Service and Interment are private.
BERNICE BEHNKE
Bernice (Schletz) Behnke, age 104.
Funeral Services were held Thursday, July 9, at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 215 S. Lincoln Ave., Lombard. Interment followed at Elm Lawn Cemetery.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for information.
M. THERESE DUDDRIDGE BLAKE
M. Therese Duddridge Blake
April 27, 1931 – July 3, 2020
M. Therese Duddridge Blake of Muscatine, Iowa, passed away peacefully at her home. The “M” stood for Martha, but no one ever called her that. It was always Therese. She was born in Lombard, Illinois, and grew up loving everything Chicago, including WGN radio, the Picasso statue, touring old cemeteries, cheering on the Cubs and, of course, Chicago-style hot dogs.
Her strong faith comforted her when her dear husband Walter Blake passed away, as well as her brother Norman Duddridge and three sisters, Myrtle (Duddridge) Hansen, Viola (Duddridge) Fech, and Mary Ann (Duddridge) Tuhey.
She went to Sacred Heart School and Sacred Heart church, and was a lifelong supporter of the Poor Clares.
Therese was the absolute rock center of her family and the star that shone over them all. Those left to celebrate her life are daughters Catherine (Blake) Trent and husband Bill, of Venice, Florida and Muscatine, Iowa; Christine (Blake) Lange and husband Jim, of Marathon, Florida; grandchildren Jessica Trent of Chicago; Bret Trent and wife Sara of Neenah, Wisconisn; Nicholas Lange and wife Yoori of Woodbury, Minnesota; Zachary Lange and wife Sara of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and Alexander Lange and wife Iris of Potsdam, Germany; and seven great-grandchildren.
Please remember her big smile, kind words and the twinkle in her eye. Any remembrances of her can be made to a library of your choice in honor of her love of reading, any arts organization because she loved the arts, or the Poor Clares. But the most important contribution she would love is a kind word you can offer another. Her family are all grateful for her love, humor and strength. In her own words, “Yes if it is my time I am not afraid and I will take whatever happens with open arms.” Private family burial will follow later. Online condolences may be left at wittichfuneralhome.com.
MARY M. CHURCHMAN
Mary M. Churchman, nee Shanks, age 91, of Lombard, passed away June 23, 2020, at her home.
Funeral services were held Monday, June 29, Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St. Lombard. Interment followed at Mount Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for more information.
RICHARD A. GRIECO
Richard, aka Papa G, Chief, Uncle, Brother or friend, got a call on July 5, 2020, for a vacation he could not refuse and one that he would not return from. As he always said, “When the big man upstairs calls you got to go, he’s the boss, there is no choice.”
Although Richard did not want to go, he knew this vacation came with great benefits. Unlimited food, seeing all the family, friends and dogs that have gone before him and never-ending parties, music, laughter and love. Including every sport, he can think of to watch. We gain a new guardian angel who will see us all grow old as we experience life till the day we see him again.
Richard was born to Frank A. Grieco and Antoinette Ranieri Grieco, at his family’s home in Chicago on February 7, 1935. Richard grew up in a close-knit Italian family with an older brother Frank and older sister Jeanette. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the military and proudly served the U.S. Army in Europe. After the “Army got him straightened out” he went to work for Western Electric and worked there until his retirement 35 years later.
He was a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan and the Chicago Blackhawks #1 fan! He loved all sports. He was present at every one of his grandchildren’s games come rain, shine, snow or even the occasional tornado. Long after his grandchildren graduated high school he could still be found at Glenbard South watching a softball game or at any St Francis sporting event, he was such an avid St Francis follower that the school named him their #1 Spartan fan.
He married the love of his life, Rena Nelson, and raised three wonderful children, Mike, Sandy and John. His grandchildren were his pride and joy; Michael, Anthony and Ryan, children of Michael and Cheryl, Laura, Erica, Grace and Anna, children of Sandy and Thomas, Harper and Hughey, John and Manish’s beautiful four-legged children. Knowing and loving each of them was the success of his life, he lived through each of them and celebrated their accomplishments and helped them through their setbacks.
There was not a person on earth that he did not become friends with, he could walk up to anyone and start a conversation, tell a joke or discuss the failings of the Chicago sport teams. His friends were too numerous to mention as each day he made a new connection. You would always know when he was coming when you saw the flags flying on the Papa G mobile!
Richard loved dogs, all dogs, any dog and he never went anywhere without treats in his pocket for his furry friends.
He was a man of many jokes and stories, and there was never a story he couldn’t tell you more than once! With Richard gone, the paper and plastic industry will need to close a factory or 2 without Richard using paper towels, plates, cups, napkins and his plastic utensils anymore.
Richard volunteered at the Food Pantry, St. Vincent DePaul and anywhere his daughter Sandy needed an extra hand, he was a volunteer’s volunteer! He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Senior Softball league in Naperville and Villa Park and an Usher at St. James the Apostle Church in Glen Ellyn and Christ the King Church in Lombard.
Richard was given the gift of life and as he said “It’s time to give it back to the boss, the body is just temporary, the soul lives on forever”
Several things he would want from all of us – “Don’t throw anything away because you will never know what you will need in the future, tune up your car, check your oil and tire pressure, gather around the table to share a meal with the ones you love and love with all your heart”
As we are still facing challenging times we want to keep everyone’s health and safety in mind as we navigate how best to pay our respects to him. A memorial mass was celebrated this past Saturday, July 11.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support the work of Dr. Akhil Chawla and Dr. John Abad for the Northwestern Medicine Pancreatic Cyst Clinic in memory of my dad, Richard A. Grieco at giving.nm.org/richgrieco If you prefer to mail in your donation please send to Northwestern Memorial Foundation, 541 Fairbanks Court Chicago, Il 60611. Make checks payable to “Northwestern Memorial Foundation” and include “ In Memory of Richard A. Grieco” in memo line.
Please visit www.knollcrest.net for obit and more information.
RICHARD A. KOESTER
Richard A. Koester, of Lombard, formerly of Elmhurst, passed away July 9, 2020, at the age of 74.
All services will be private.
For information, contact Elmhurst Community Funeral Home, The Ahlgrim Chapel, 567 S. Spring Road at 630-834-3515 or ElmhurstFH.com.
JOHN F. MORAN
John F. Moran, Ph.D., age 73, of Lombard, passed away April 30, 2020.
A Memorial Gathering will be held Friday, July 24, from 3-8 p.m. at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. A Private Memorial Mass will be held July 25 at Christ the Servant Catholic Church, Woodridge.
John was the beloved husband of Barbara J. “Bobbie” nee Maisonneuve; the loving father of Amy (Michael) Weltin and Kate (Steve) Reschke; adoring grandfather of Lexi, Maddie, Aidan, and Jonny Weltin and Camryn and Jillian Reschke; dear brother of Kathy (Bob) Dutkiewicz and Bill (the late Shelly) Moran; uncle and great-uncle of many. John was preceded in death by his sister, Nancy Toy.
John graduated from St. Jude Seminary in 1964. He received his Ph.D. in Education. John was a Special Education Teacher at Bartlett High School, until his retirement in 2012. He was a former Bourbonnais Police Officer. John was a former Director of Staff Development at Elmhurst Hospital. He was the founder and owner of Shamrock Aviation and of Communicorp Television Productions.
Please omit flowers. Donations to the family to be used for students and their families with special needs and financial hardship, or SIRA (Shiba Inu Rescue Association), are greatly appreciated.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for information.
HELEN M. MROZEK
Helen M. Mrozek, nee Hrzenjak, age 93, of Lombard, passed away July 7, 2020.
A Graveside Service will be held Friday, July 17, at 11 a.m. at Resurrection Cemetery, Justice, Illinois.
Visit www.brustfuneralhome.com or call 888-629-0094 for information.
DORIS STOERMER
Doris Stoermer, 52, an artist, wife and mom, and a medicinal chemist whose research aimed to make a difference in the health of others, died June 28 in her home in Novato, California.
Born October 30, 1967, in Chicago, Doris moved with her family to the suburb Lombard in 1970. She graduated Glenbard East High School in 1985 then attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, majoring in organic chemistry. She spoke German fluently and spent a year in college at Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany.
She completed her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a post-doctoral degree at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
She met Kevin Gorski on a hike with mutual friends in the Baltimore area in the fall of 2000. He proposed in June 2002 after they watched a World Cup soccer game (USA beat Portugal and she said yes). That year they moved to the Twin Cities in Minnesota area to start work together at 3M. They married in St. Paul on August 23, 2003. In her work she was a highly valued member of a talented team pioneering new immunotherapy approaches. She authored more than 30 patents and publications in her field.
Their son Karl arrived in November 2004. She loved parenting Karl, especially reading to him and creating projects ranging from baking to science exploration to photography. She also recognized and nurtured his interest in music.
After relocating to California in 2006, she taught chemistry at California State University Channel Islands, which included lecturing and teaching lab classes for general and organic chemistry.
In 2015 her family moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where she was active in her son’s middle school community, volunteered at a local elementary school, and advanced her skills as an artist including oil painting and playing piano. Her paintings brightened her home and earned honorable mention at the Marin County Fair.
Doris is remembered for her beautiful, caring personality and playful sense of humor.
She worked hard to understand and combat her depression and mental health challenges this year. We hope others will openly address within their families the need for societal support and care for these conditions.
Her father Herman Stoermer died in 1994. In addition to her son and husband and his extended family, Doris is survived by her mother Inga Stoermer (Hjuler), her brothers Markus Stoermer and Eric Stoermer and their families, and relatives in Germany. She also loved her four nieces and five nephews dearly.
Memorial contributions may be made to Advancing Chemistry Teaching donate.acs.org.
A memorial service will be held once it is safer to travel again.
