Jerome "Jim" Zekas

Jerome “Jim” Zekas passed away unexpectedly at age 87 on February 25, 2023.

He is preceded in death by his wife Shirley (Rennhack) Zekas, his parents Joseph and Clara Zekas, and his brothers James and Daniel Zekas. He is survived by his daughter Linda Beth Zekas, his sisters-in-law Geraldine Rennhack, Claudia Zekas and Kathryn Zekas, 4 nieces (Amy, Laurie, Lisa, Michelle) and 1 nephew (Dan Jr.), and 14 great-nieces and nephews (Adam, Alissa, Annie, Benjamin, Brady, Cara, Dan, John, Joseph, Katie, Ryan, Samantha, Sarah, Tyler).

He was born in Chicago on March 17, 1935. He grew up in the Gage Park neighborhood with two younger brothers, and graduated from Gage Park High School in 1953. As a young man, he joined the U.S. Navy for a stint, like his father, and spent time in Asia. He also traveled on a cruise ship, working as an activities director. He attended junior college and then graduated from Roosevelt University with a major in psychology. He was a gifted salesman, spending the bulk of his career working for 3M. He retired in 1998 at age 63.

When he was in his 20s, Jim’s parents gifted him dance classes for Christmas, and a young Shirley Rennhack was given the same gift by her sister Geri. Jim and Shirley met in that dance class, fell in love, and married on May 2, 1964. Their beloved daughter Linda Beth arrived in 1966. Jim and Shirley were married for 43 years. He was Linda’s rock after her mom passed, and he was always ardently in Linda’s corner.

Jim was a gifted and avid photographer for seven decades. Among his favorite subjects were portraits of Shirley and Linda, his extended family, scenes in nature, aerial photography, and architecture. When he was well into his 80s, an iPhone camera replaced the trusty camera that he used to carry everywhere. His creativity extended to compiling his photographic work into video montages set to thematic music.

A lifelong learner and avid traveler, Jim loved nature. He collected duck decoys and enjoyed fishing in his younger days. He enjoyed taking the train to downtown Chicago to enjoy classical music concerts at Millennium Park, and was a fan of swing-era jazz. Jim enjoyed reading nonfiction and watching documentaries about nature, history, and lately, forensic science. He had a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Australia to visit a friend and explore.

A few years ago, Jim downsized to an apartment complex in Des Plaines, where he quickly made friends. He visited regularly with two of these friends, whose friendship and companionship meant the world to him. He also went to Panera every Tuesday morning to shoot the breeze with a group of buddies. He remained active his whole life, including regular workouts at Planet Fitness at age 87.

Visitation will take place from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, March 3, 2023 at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60004. Interment Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, IL.

In lieu of flowers, please send gifts to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.