Nicholas F. Turcic

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Nicholas Francis Turcic, it summarized in every way who he was. He was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around him and always thinking before acting. He was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything he did. He was a friendly person who truly cared about those around him.

Nicholas was born on June 16, 1923 at his home in Manhattan, New York, New York. He was the son of Nicholas and Margaret (Albaneze) Turcich. Raised in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, New York, he was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, he learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that he would carry with him throughout his life.

As a young boy, Nicholas was always aware of how others around him felt and this quality served him well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Nicholas was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Nicholas was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where he could concentrate, Nicholas also had the ability to relate well with his family and friends. Nicholas was raised with two siblings. He had one older sister, Anna, and one younger brother, John. Nicholas was constantly involved in activities with his family. Nicholas and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Nicholas was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. He was content to entertain himself. Nicholas was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, he was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything he did as a child, Nicholas was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around him. Nicholas took part in a number of activities as a child. He took part in stickball in the streets of New York, using the sewer caps as bases and baseball. In his spare time he loved to fish. Nicholas' memorable achievements in his younger years included winning the American Legion Award.

Nicholas enjoyed learning. He always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Nicholas was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. He often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Nicholas was painstaking and accurate in his efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. He graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School in Brooklyn, New York, New York in 1942. Nicholas enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite subjects and teachers. His favorite class in high school was math. Nicholas was alson a member of the Croatian Catholic Union.

Nicholas had a good disposition for the challenges of college. He always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for him. In fact, Nicholas seemed to absorb and remember everything he read. Not all things came easily to Nicholas, however, and he found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. He was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach his goals. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Colorado College in 1957. His favorite courses were the engineering courses.

Most folks would say that Nicholas was shy until they got to know him. Those who were privileged to know him well learned that he was a solid, good friend. Nicholas was reluctant to generalize about people, and he based his friendships on his personal experiences. Because of this, Nicholas best trusted those people that he truly knew. He was concerned about how those around him felt, and he always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. He could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that he made, Nicholas kept. At the beginning of his working career, he became best friends with a co-worker, Sam Levin, which lasted an incredible 60 years until Nicholas' death.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Nicholas. On November 30, 1946, Nicholas married Gloria Margaret Thomas at Immaculate Conception Church of Elmhurst, Illinois. He was totally committed to Gloria and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Nicholas naturally sensed his spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Nicholas disliked conflict, he did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Nicholas was a good father to his children. He had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because he trusted emotions, Nicholas was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way he seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around him, always thinking before acting. In addition, Nicholas was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around him might be, he seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Nicholas was blessed with four children, two daughters, Karen and Anna, and two sons, Nicholas II and Stefan. They were also blessed with eleven grandchildren: Eric, Julie, Jennifer, Jamey, Nicholas III, Ashley, Erin, Stefan II, Kyle, Myriah, and Noah.

If you gave Nicholas a deadline, he would meet it. At work, Nicholas was always on task. Without hesitation, Nicholas could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. His primary occupation was an engineer. He was an owner of the defense contractor, Scot Inc. in Downers Grove, Illinois. During that time, Nicholas excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. He was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Nicholas was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Nicholas had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. He was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Nicholas was a US Navy veteran. He seemed to thrive on the routines offered up by the military. Being a literal thinker with a calm exterior helped him handle the rigors of the military. He enlisted and was a radio technician on board the aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Pacific Theater. During WWII, he was a survivor of the kamikaze attack on the Franklin on March 19, 1945, which left the ship severely damaged with many fatalities and casualties. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Radio Technician 2nd Class. He received several awards including a American Theater Medal, Victory Medal, and Asiatic-Pacific Medal.

Nicholas liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Nicholas's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Nicholas preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on his hobbies. His favorite pursuit was fishing. Nicholas was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying his hobbies all by himself and could often be found just reading about his favorite pastimes.

Due to his excellent organizational skills, Nicholas was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which he belonged. Nicholas could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Nicholas was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, his faith was extremely important to Nicholas. His compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in his personal beliefs. He became a member of St. Joan of Arc in Lisle, Illinois for 53 years after moving to Lisle from Colorado.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Nicholas had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that he was the trip planner. He would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included trips around the country with his wife and children and visiting his parents' village in Omisalj, Krk, Croatia.

When Nicholas' retirement finally arrived in 1998, he was well prepared. He had taken the time to learn about his various options and chose his course wisely. He stayed in Lisle, Illinois for his retirement, and he found new pleasure in staying active in church. Even in retirement, Nicholas continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered him.

Nicholas passed away on May 18, 2012 at his home. Nicholas died peacefully in his bed. He is survived by his children Karen (Peter) Trendel, Nicholas II (Patricia) Turcic, and Dr. Stefan (Karen) Turcic; his grandchildren Eric (Jacque) Harper, Julie (Craig) Becker, Jennifer (Jason) Dombroski, Jamey Simpson, Nicholas Turcic III, Ashley Turcic, Erin Turcic, Stefan Turcic II, Kyle Turcic, Myriah Turcic, and Noah Turcic; his great-grandchildren Hunter, Taylor, Skylar, Lucas, Justin, William, Jacob, and Seth. Nicholas was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria, his daughter, Anna (Greg) Simpson, and two siblings, Anna Frankie and John Turcic. Services were held at St. Joan of Arc in Lisle, Illinois. Nicholas was laid to rest in SS Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery, Naperville, Illinois on May 23, 2012.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Nicholas was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Nicholas was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of man to whom everyone was drawn. He was thorough and practical. Nicholas Turcic was very literal with his words. You always knew where you stood with Nicholas. He will be missed by all.

Nicholas F. Turcic, age 88, beloved husband of the late Gloria (nee Thomas), Naval Veteran of WWII serving on the USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Pacific Theater. Dear father of Karen (Peter) Trendel, the late Anna M. (Greg) Simpson, Nicholas Jr. (Patricia) and Dr. Stefan M. (Karen). Cherished grandpa of Eric (Jacque) Harper, Julie (Craig) Becker, Jennifer (Jason) Dombroski, Jamie Simpson, Nicholas III Turcic, Ashley Turcic, Erin Turcic, Stefan II Turcic, Kyle Turcic, Myriah Turcic, and Noah Turcic. Great grand-father of Hunter, Taylor, Skylar, Lucas, Justin, William, Jacob and Seth.

Visitation Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 3-9pm at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Ave., Lisle (on Rt. 53, ½ mile south of Ogden Ave. / Rt. 34) where funeral services will begin Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 10:30am and proceed to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church for Mass 11:15am. Interment Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Aplastic Anemia and MDS, www.aamds.org. For additional information, call 630 964-9392.