Mr. George Jacob Montalbano

Mr. George Jacob Montalbano was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Joseph Montalbano and Josephine Pomilia. George was raised in Chicago. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Montalbano household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, George was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. George was raised with one brother. He had one younger brother Gene Montalbano. George was constantly involved in activities with his brother. George and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but George was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, George was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. George developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. George took part in baseball, football and horseback riding. However, what George enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of George as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Lane Tech in He left high school in May 1945 to join the service. He returned to school when his children were young to get his diploma. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. George was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. George always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, George was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, George was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for George to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. Later in life, he became friends with The Gerkes, The Stopkas, The Kotals, the Pezzas and The Gegertraxs.

On May 1, 1948 George exchanged wedding vows with Evelyn Nardella at the St. John Bosco of Chicago, Illinois. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment.

George brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. George was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. George was blessed with 5 children, 2 sons; Gregory and Robert and 3 daughters; Susan, Kathleen and Barbara. They were also blessed with 10 grandchildren, Nicole, Michael, Zachary, Danielle, Natalie, Joseph, Alyssa, Karl, Christina and Alex.

George greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. George enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, George was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. He was last employed at Amoco. George worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

George was in the Navy. He was in Chicago, at the Great Lakes base. George saw action for WWII. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of SC3C. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded American Area Ribbob and WWII Victory Ribbon. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, George seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

George liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, George always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were fishing, hunting and gardening. George was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

George found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included golf. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball and basketball.

Many organizations were grateful to have George as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, George was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, George was an active member of the Moose and the Italian Club.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that George was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, George preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. George was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. George was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the Village of Berkeley; he was a Trustee.

George enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with George appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, George always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Alaska, Hawaii, and horseback riding in Wisconsin.

Services were held at Chapel Hill Gardens. George was laid to rest in Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside Illinois.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Mr. George Jacob Montalbano. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

George J. Montalbano, age 83, US Navy WWII Veteran, of Huntley, formerly of Berkley, Member of Local 134 IBEW for 63 years, Trustee of Village of Berkley, Assistant Chief Electrician for Amaco for 17 years. Beloved husband of Evelyn P. (nee Nardella); loving father of Greg (Janice), Bob (Pamela), Susan (Jim) Rizzi, Kathi (Ken) Crowell and Barbara (Ralph) Tooren; cherished grandfather of Joseph, Natalie, Alyssa, Nicole (Zach), Michael (Amy), Zachary (Elyse), Danielle, Karl, Christina, and Alex; great-grandpa of Marley, Reese, Drew, Tysen, Grace, Jaymin and Zoe; loving son of the late Joseph and Josephine (nee Pomilia); dear brother of Gene and uncle to many. Visitation Wednesday 3-9 pm and Chapel Service Thursday 10 am at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home, 17W201 Roosevelt Rd. (1/4 mile West of Rt. 83) Oakbrook Terrace. Interment Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Please sign the guest book at www.chapelhillgardenswest.com. For more information please call us at 630-941-5860.