Ilmars Strauts

Ilmars (Al) Strauts, devoted husband and cherished father, passed away on April 9, 2026 at the age of 86. He was born on August 25, 1939 in Riga, Latvia as WWII was beginning; after his father was killed in battle, his mother fled the country with her young family to a displaced persons camp, ultimately emigrating to Loogootee, IL after receiving sponsorship from a Lutheran church in 1950.

Al grew up in Chicago, IL where he graduated from Senn High School; he then enlisted in the United States Army where he served until 1962. After he was honorably discharged, he was hired at IBM to work in the mailroom; he worked his way up the corporate ladder for over 25 years and retired as an executive-level manager.

He met his future wife Alice while delivering her mail at IBM and it was love at first sight for them! They married in 1963 and raised four children together, eventually settling in East Cobb/Marietta, GA for almost 40 years. He was a life-long athlete who was named to Chicago’s All-City Basketball Team while in high school; he also enjoyed playing tennis and golf with his friends and traveling through Europe with Alice. However, the thing he loved most was spending time with his children and grandchildren, whom he loved unconditionally, raising them with steady guidance, structure and intention.

Al is survived by his four children: Susan (Dan) Rudd, Christopher Strauts, Matthew (Ilie) Strauts, and Wendy (Kip) McCullough; by his four grandchildren, Sarah, Megan, Andrew & Beckett; and by his sister, Enid Murtaugh. He was preceded in death by his wife Alice Eleanor Strauts, his mother Anna Velbergs, and his brother, John Strauts.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 17th at 2 pm, at H.M. Patterson & Son/Canton Hill Chapel. All who knew Al are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a cause that Al and Alice firmly supported out of their deep respect for the military personnel and first responders who serve our country.

Al truly embodied what it meant to live the American Dream. His courage, perseverance and strength taught his family innumerable lessons, and his presence in their lives will be dearly missed.