Howard Frank Wodrich

Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 16, 1943. He is preceded in death by his father, Walter, his mother, Lauretta , and his brother, Bobby (Joan). He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Debbie Wodrich; son Trevor Bell (Stacey); grandchildren, Olivia, Tyler, and Ava, siblings Bill (Jenny), Mary (Danny) and Chuck (Laurie), 9 nieces and 5 nephews as well as 8 great-nieces, 11 great-nephews, 1 great-great niece and 1 great-great nephew.

Dixie loved sports and could be found on weekends cheering on his favorite teams, the Bears, the Cubs, and the Bulls, as well as any team his grandchildren played on. He had many hobbies, including working on his elaborate garden, tending to his pool in the summer and enjoying his lovingly restored 1973 Pontiac Grandville convertible. He loved hosting gatherings and cookouts for friends and family on the major holidays or whenever the weather was nice enough. In his earlier adult years, before he became a “professional” amateur little league coach, he spent his weekends driving his corvette with the T-tops off to Fox Lake to ride his Sea Ray speedboat.

He had a successful career as a recruiter and worked for the same company (First Personnel) for 50 years where he helped hundreds of professionals begin their careers and mentored many within the industry.

Dixie would light up the room and was known for his charismatic personality and sense of humor that stayed with him all the way through his last moments with us. Even in his prolonged battle against cancer, the strength of his spirit never wavered. He will be lovingly remembered by many and will always remain in our hearts.

A visitation for Howard will be held Saturday, January 15, 2022 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Oehler Funeral Home, 2099 Miner Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016, followed by a memorial service from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

Flowers and contributions (Howard Wodrich Family) are both welcomed. Contributions may be sent to:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/HowardWodrichFamily

Link to Livestream: https://tinyurl.com/wdhw7ur

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.OehlerFuneralHome.com for the Wodrich family.