Stephen Roch Wasiak

Stephen Roch Wasiak of Marengo, Illinois passed away the night of November 24, 2025, at the age of 97. A fearless hero to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, he was known as Steve and will be remembered for his devotion to family, unwavering faith, and selfless service to all. To his family and friends, he literally kept on giving until the end.

On August 16, 1928, in Warsaw, Poland, Steve was born to Jozef and Jozefina Wasiak. He survived the tragedies of a World War II childhood. At the age of 15, he was a young insurgent of the Polish Home Army who fought in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising and was taken prisoner of war. Unable to be repatriated after his liberation, Steve immigrated to the United States in 1949. A young man on his own in a foreign country, Steve started his new life with very little. By 1952, at the age of 24, he completed his education at St. Bonaventure Minor Seminary and High School in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. In 1954, he was drafted, became a naturalized US citizen, and then served in the US Army until 1956.

On May 17, 1958, Steve married Audrey Frantz and together raised a family in Cary, Illinois. As a father, he always made himself available for his children and passed along his strong work ethic and grit. With a steady can-do spirit, he showed them how to embrace difficulty and treat failures as learning opportunities to overcome and prevail. He was a true tradesman who worked through obstacles and delivered. A staunch believer in education, continuous improvement, and service, Steve always supported his children to pursue their passions in school, church, and community. Steve also believed in the pursuit of adventure. He created a family passion for traveling and planned family vacations throughout the US and Canada.

During retirement, as his children started the next generation, Steve continued sharing his values with his grandchildren. He took every opportunity to share his Catholic faith. He professed “God is Love” and throughout his life faith, hope, and charity were his guiding light.

Stephen is survived by his wife of 67 years, four children: Joseph (Kathrin Kjos), Mary (Thomas Maki), John (Lynne Speirs), and Michael (Susan Heald), nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren who will remember his strong and loving presence; his ability to make time to listen, connect, and guide; and his shameless sweet tooth famously known for turning “just one more” cookie into at least four more.

Services will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at Sacred Heart Church, 323 Taylor Street, Marengo, Illinois. The viewing will be from 10 AM until 11 AM, followed by a Catholic Funeral Mass. The service will conclude at Windridge Memorial Park in Cary, Illinois for burial at 12:45 PM.