Donald Earl Bostrom

1934-2022

It is with deep sadness that Don Bostrom’s wife of 65 years, Carol, and his sons Mark, David (Laura), and John (Kathy), send his goodbyes to cherished family and friends.

Raised in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, Don was the son of Mabel (nee Johnson) and Carl E. Bostrom (a former president of the Chicago Board of Trade). He had an older brother Dick (Alice).

Don was elected All-City quarterback at Morgan Park High School, where he graduated in 1952. During his senior year, he was called into his coach’s office and found Vince Lombardi there waiting to invite him to visit West Point, where he was a coach. He was also recruited to play for the Fighting Illini and decided to be “Loyal to Illinois.”

Don graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Business Administration (Marketing). Don and his college sweetheart, Carol, would regularly meet after their classes in the Commerce building. He was president of his fraternity, Sigma Chi, his senior year.

After marrying Carol in November 1956, Don was drafted into the US Army and assigned to Fort Belvoir’s Army Corps of Engineers in Alexandria Virginia, where he graduated first in his REDSTONE Arsenal missile class.

Don played quarterback for the Fort Belvoir football team when a good friend and teammate labeled him “World Champion Rule Follower.” He should be remembered for how he lived by faith, loved his wife, and instilled integrity into his children and grandchildren.

After a 25-year career with Illinois Bell and then AT&T in administration and management, he enjoyed working on his own as an amateur economist.

In addition to his wife and three sons, Don leaves eight cherished grandchildren—Jonathan, Paul, Jordan, Daniel, Andrew (Shelby), Matthew, Mark, and Julia—who loved him dearly. Just as Don was there for his sons, he was there all over again for his grandchildren. Babysitting, vacations, basketball games, baseball games, Bears games, band concerts, dance recitals, and musical theatre shows. They greatly enjoyed how positive and encouraging he was of them. They were all very supportive of him as he fought for his life after being diagnosed with West Nile Virus in 2013 and then dementia in recent years.

His neighbors labeled him “Friendliest Neighbor” of the Arlington Heights neighborhood in which he lived for 56 years. His caregivers called him “Smiling Don.” His friends said he was there for them to share concerns and lend a hand.

There will be a memorial service at a later date.

Donations in Don’s honor may be made to The Dementia Society of America, or Don’s son David’s work, Made for Dominion Ministries, P.O. Box 7153, Lakeland, FL 33807–7153.