Karl William Klicker

Karl W. Klicker, age 87, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. He was fortunate to have been a resident of LaSalle Veterans’ Home since February of 2018 and previously lived in Glenview, Illinois. Karl is survived by his wife Rheta of Glenview, IL; daughters Lynn (Steve) Goldberg of Little Rock, AR; Karyn Freeman of Algonquin, IL; and son Bill (Jen) Klicker of Poplar Grove, IL. His daughter Julie (Mark) O’Sullivan of Algonquin, IL passed away in 2018. He was also predeceased by his siblings Marilyn and Ross.

Born on October 4, 1931, raised in Chicago, and married October 1, 1955, Karl worked for York Corporation until his retirement and was a member of Pipefitters Local 597. He served in the Army during the Korean War. He was an avid bowler, Blackhawks fan, and spent countless hours researching and restoring his ’56 Chevrolet Bel Air. Karl loved to work jigsaw puzzles, play cards, and was always a stickler for the rules (his rules, that is). He had an eye for detail and no tolerance for slackers. He never seemed to rest and was always repairing and recycling, the original environmentalist.

Karl was also the family’s Google long before there was such a thing (Have questions? Call Grandpa). He was a 25-year cancer survivor and defied medical science with his ability to bounce back from every obstacle he encountered with his stubborn determination and fortitude to beat the odds. In his later years, he surprised everyone by his newfound interest in pets. He loved to spend time with his dogs at home and was always happy to have a visit from his dog Cookie at the VA.

Grandchildren Joseph (Molly), Tim (Morgan), Kelly, Jon, Rachel, Laura, Scott, Emma, Camden, and great granddaughters Tilly and Dorothy were so special to Karl. He was proud of each, and they all were lucky to learn about and experience his life philosophy, “poetry,” Karl-isms, and country western music which he enjoyed right up until the very last day. Known as Grandpa, Paka, and Great Grandpa, he was always eager to hear about what the kids were up to and looked forward to the next set of pictures, postcards, visits, and phone calls from them.

A wake will be held Thursday, August 1, 2019, 3:00-8:00 pm at Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines, IL. A funeral celebration will be held at Oehler Funeral Home on Friday August 2, 2019 at 10:00 am, followed by procession and interment at Mt. Emblem Cemetery in Elmhurst, IL. It is the family’s intent to donate in Karl’s name for the benefit of US military veterans in need who live at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. Instead of flowers, please make contributions to our cause or directly to the LaSalle facility in Karl’s memory.

It was time to say goodbye, and you did so quietly, peacefully and just the way you would have hoped, surrounded by family and free of pain. You fought hard and we will all miss you.