Peter A. Hand

Peter A. Hand, 64, of Bonita Springs, FL, passed away on Friday, January 25, 2019. Formerly of Oak Lawn, IL, he had been a Bonita Springs resident for the last six years. He was born June 24, 1954 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of William and Mary (née McHugh) Hand.He is survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Paula Marie (née Schaaf) Hand; his sisters, Elizabeth (Jim) Van Tassel of Bonita Springs, FL and Carmel, IN and Rose (Robert) Milkowski of Elmhurst, IL; his sisters and brother-in-laws, Rita (Lawrence) Burns of Milwaukee, WI, Peter Schaaf of Country Club Hills, IL, Anna (Charles) Vandenburgh of Bolton, CT and Christine (Steven) Schaaf of Chicago, IL; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Maria McCarthy in 2016.

It was 1954, in the tumultuous city of Belfast, Northern Ireland when Peter A. Hand entered the world. Born to a Scottish father and an Irish mother, his time there was a short four years before he crossed the globe, younger sister Maria in tow, for the first of many travels abroad. Eventually the family settled in Indiana where Pete grew up playing hockey in Harrison Park, building his affection for York Peppermint Patties and all things chocolate and Coca-Cola, and having serious snowball fights with the McKenna’s.

Pete did the Catholic school route, serving as an altar boy for All Saints and relished torturing his younger sisters Maria, Liz and Rosie, as only a good brother can do. In his teen years Pete bussed a million tables at Barnaby’s Pizza, painted a thousand hotel rooms for his dad, and kept the teachers at Bishop Noll Institute on their toes. Eventually Pete landed himself in the U.S. Air Force to the great relief of his rosary praying mother. There he travelled throughout the world, serving his country in places like Japan, Germany, and across the U.S. for five years. The whole family awaited the treasure packages that would arrive from the PX base stores.

Upon return, Pete headed for the University of Illinois Circle Campus, where his true genius shone. He spent many a night, studying chemical formulas and compounds and in 1983 became a dedicated Pharmacist working at Michael Reese Hospital. In time he switched to retail pharmacy where he would spend the rest of his career, with his last position at Publix, Pelican Landing, Bonita Springs.

Pete returned to school earning a graduate degree in business in 1997 and this is where he met the love of his life, Paula. It is amazing how one person can truly provide the direction and change the trajectory of one’s life. For Pete that person was Paula and he spent the next twenty-five years being a good husband and provider as they built a great life together and made many friends along the way.

Over the years, Pete recommitted to his faith. For him it was deep and personal and sharing this faith with Paula enriched both their lives. He was a parishioner of Saint Germaine in Oak Lawn and later at Saint Leo’s in Bonita Springs. Peter’s faith provided solace for him as he faced the diagnosis of leukemia. While hospitalized, Pete continued to don his pharmacist hat to ensure all medications were accurately dispensed. He was always a perfectionist at heart and serving people was his life’s work and passion.

He and Paula often travelled to Cape Cod and the northeast in the fall, while poor Paula had to endure his zealous love of all things military and battles; even his jokes about wanting a final Viking send-off. They also had opportunities to circle the globe many times with their good friend Father Mark, exploring Slovakia, Poland, Prague, Vienna and Rome.

Six years ago Pete and Paula made the trek to Florida and never missed the cold and snowy winters of Chicago, although he remained true to his passion for the Chicago Bears and White Sox. Shorts and t-shirts were his new uniform. He continued his love of bicycling and kayaking, and was able to add a new tradition of Sunday strolls along the beach to watch sunsets with Paula.

He always enjoyed playing games with a fierce competitive spirit, even trying to win Monopoly against his 14 nieces and nephews. He had the sharpest of wits and keenest of intellects, rivaled only by his sister Maria. With a memory like a steel trap, he recalled statistics like no other, and could instantly retrieve any trivia or historical fact. He was always a kid at heart and we will miss his excitement at being the champion.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, February 18, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Germaine Catholic Church, 9711 S. Kolin, Oak Lawn. Visitation for family and friends from 8:30am to 10am at Blake Lamb Funeral Home 4727 W. 103rd Street prior to the Mass. Burial will follow the service at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, 87th St. and Hamlin Ave., Evergreen Park, Illinois. Arrangements are being handled by Blake Lamb Funeral Home, Oak Lawn, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, www.LLS.org.