Anton Joseph Poczos, Jr.

Anton (Tony) Joseph Poczos, Jr., 82, of Barrington, Ill., a United States Army veteran, engineer, avid golfer, and beloved father and grandfather, passed away on Nov. 28, 2020. After a courageous battle with mesothelioma, he made his transition to heaven in the arms of his loved ones while at their home in Austin, Texas.

Anton, known as “Tony” to his friends and “Sonny” to his family, was born on July 30, 1938, in Chicago to Mary O. De Beir and Anton J. Poczos, Sr. The oldest of three kids, Tony grew up in Melrose Park, a western suburb of Chicago, with his brother, Andrew, and sister, Mary. As a teen, Tony attended Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Ill. While there, he joined the school’s golf team, which sprouted his lifelong love for the sport. In his downtime, Tony could be found caddying with his best friend, George Rohrhuber, at Chicago’s Indian Boundary Golf Course, hoping to learn some tricks to improve his golf game.

After graduating from Leyden, Tony served in the U. S. Army and studied mechanical engineering. While in the military, he toured Europe and forged a life-long friendship with a member of his company, Ed Leong.

After his time in the Army, Tony worked for several years as an industrial engineer at Lockport based Binzel Industries. He then started his own company, Thermal Systems, Inc., with his business partner, Charlie Singleton. Tony felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment in running his own business. Later in his career, he served as a senior mechanical engineer with General Kinematics Corporation in Crystal Lake, Ill., until his retirement.

Throughout his life, Tony spent much of his free time golfing, just as he did as a teen. He was a longtime member of the Barrington Park District, which operates a small golf course at Langendorf Park, where Tony enjoyed driving and putting with friends, discussing business, or teaching family members the finer points of swinging a golf club. It was on this course that he shot his first hole-in-one.

Tony also loved sports and cheered his whole life for Notre Dame football and the Chicago Bears. He also followed professional golf and bowling. Family outings often included mini golf, movies, bowling, fishing, trips to Cantigny Park or any of the Chicagoland museums, and spending time with his grandchildren at outdoor concerts or at Santa’s Village.

Tony was married for 21 years to his wife, Laurie. Together, they raised 4 children: Gary, Michael, Brian, and Teresa. He also took great pleasure in spending large amounts of quality time with his grandchildren, Bailey, Brendan, and Landon. They served as sources of great inspiration and strength for him during his battle with cancer.

In addition to his children and grandchildren, Tony is survived by his younger brother, Andrew. He is dearly missed by his family and friends, and he will forever hold a place in their hearts.

A service for the interment of Tony’s ashes will be held at Saint Michael The Archangel Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum in Palatine, Ill., at a date to be determined.

Memorial contributions may be made to:

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

https://www.curemeso.org/

Or

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Research Center

https://www.mdanderson.org/donors-volunteers/donate/honor-loved-ones.html