Mary Beth Lukasik

If anyone ever cared, really cared for someone else it would have to be Mary Beth Lukasik. She was a warm hearted and well liked individual. She was also very protective of her family. Mary Beth was always making certain that those around her had whatever they needed. Mary Beth was also a talkative person who typically said what she meant.

      Mary Beth was born on Wednesday February 22, 1922 with a mid-wife at home 3258 Montrose in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Elmer Thesen and Frieda Boyd. She had four older siblings, Bill, Chuck, Lorraine and Elmer and she had a younger sibling Donald. Mary Beth was raised in Chicago, Illinois. During her childhood she learned to be reliable and respectful. Mary Beth was an obedient child who wanted to win the favor of others. She found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of Mary Beth's personality throughout her life.

      Mary Beth's mother Frieda had a bad heart. Frieda love St. Theresa and gave Mary Beth Theresa as her middle name. She always prayed to St. Theresa and had Mary Beth do so as well. Frieda died when Mary Beth was in High School. Mary Beth had to take over the cleaning, laundry and babysitting. She wanted to do the cooking but her dad told her that her older sister Lorraine should cook. Lorraine was sick as a child so her father Elmer thought cooking would be easier for her. Mary Beth always regretted that she wasn't able to cook as a child. She had to learn how to later on when she got married. Mary Beth was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with her family. Mary Beth was a peace-maker with an ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. In fact, Mary Beth worked conscientiously to keep those typical family spats at bay. Mary Beth and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

      As someone who reveled in the sheer joy of her experiences, Mary Beth was always enthusiastic about new adventures. One thing Mary Beth will certainly be remembered for is that, when she got up in the mornings, she was ready and raring to go. As a young girl, Mary Beth had a number of interests and was an active child. Mary Beth took part in playing Tennis. In her spare time she liked going to the movie theater and playing piano. Mary Beth's memorable achievements included volunteering for the Red Cross.

      For Mary Beth, the school routines were never a problem although she generally preferred variety to structure. She seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. And she was able to do it quickly and efficiently. Mary Beth was also adept at details. Mary Beth was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Chicago, Illinois in 1939. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was History. In addition to being an Honor Roll Student, she was on the Tennis Team.

A year after Mary Beth's mother Frieda passed away her father remarried a younger women. Elmer and his new wife moved to Missouri and lived on a farm. He father took Donald with him because he was only around ten years old. Her father had another child with his new wife. When her father moved she got a room at a boarding house with Lorraine and Bill. They each had their separate rooms and paid $5.00 a week for them. She had a job working at a factory. During the summer, her dad would send Donald on the train to Chicago to stay with Mary Beth and her sister Lorraine for the summer. Her father didn't send Donald with any money, so they had to pay an extra $.25 a week for Donald to stay with her. They cooked some of their meals on hot plates in their room to save money.

      During the war Mary Beth bought some War Bonds. After the war she cashed them in to pay for College. She liked working in the factory but wanted the challenge of being an administrative assistant or secretary. College can be a challenge, but Mary Beth appeared to be well equipped to succeed. She had a knack for staying focused and on track no matter what was going on around her. Mary Beth had the ability to work undisturbed through all of the constant interruptions that are a regular part of college life. Mary Beth enjoyed using the skills she'd already learned and applying them to new courses. She knew the facts and rarely made factual errors. She earned her Business administrative associate degree from North Central College. Her favorite course was shorthand. She got a job as a secretary when she completed college. She didn't like the office politics and the bosses flirting. She decided to go back to the factory floor because the pay was better. This is where she met her future husband Walter Lukasik.

      Mary Beth was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call her sentimental and a romantic at heart. Her kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around her. Mary Beth cared for what others thought and carried that into her marriage. In 1952 Mary Beth married Walter Lukasik at City Hall of Chicago, Illinois. Compassionate and devoted, Mary Beth worked hard to make her new life partner happy. She was married to Walter for 14 years before Walter passed away at the age of 48.

      Mary Beth was a very strong woman. She raised her three son's Walter, William and Robert on her own. Robert was the youngest and was only ten years old when his father died. She managed to send her three boys to Catholic grade school and sent Wally and Bob to Gordan Tech for high school. Billy took a test and was admitted into Lane Tech High School.

Mary Beth became a grandmother when her son Billy and his wife Espie had a daughter Nastassja, and her son Bobby had a son Jacob. She became a great grandmother when Nastassja had a daughter Katelyn. Harmony was important to Mary Beth and she made every effort to maintain it with her family. She lived in a three flat with Billy and Espie. She had her own apartment. She would babysit Nastassja when Espie went to work as a nurse. She essentially helped raise Nastassja. Mary Beth was always conscious of the feelings others had. She was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Mary Beth was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. Her secret of success in this area was simple: Mary Beth would listen before she would act.

      Taking her work seriously came naturally to Mary Beth, and she expected the same from those around her. Mary Beth was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. She was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in her good communication skills. Mary Beth was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Mary Beth handled well. She could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” Her primary occupation was as a Quality Control Inspector. Because of her work ethic she was promoted to Supervisor of the Quality Control Department at Steward Warner where she was employed for 35 years. She brought harmony to her work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for her colleagues.

      A methodical woman, Mary Beth enjoyed spending time working on her various hobbies. She had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that she could have something to show for her efforts. She was a devout catholic. She was an extraordinary minister at her church. She would go to houses where people were invalid or ill and give them communion. She was in the Women's Club and was very involved in her parish. She loved to play Bingo and she loved to knit. She knitted each of her son's a blanket. She also knitted sweaters and booties for Nastassja.

      Mary Beth was one of those people who took pride in constantly putting forth her best effort. Nowhere was that more visible than in sports. Mary Beth was always enthusiastic and a great team player. In high school, Mary Beth played tennis. She was also on a bowling league for several years. Mary Beth also liked being a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were tennis and wrestling.

      Mary Beth was the kind of person who would readily move into action in order to help others. She was appreciated and respected. She could find value in the opinions of others and was passionate about her own values and beliefs. Politically, Mary Beth was Republican. She would like to get in a good discussion about politics whenever she could. She had some interesting opinions

     Her high moral standards and traditional values served Mary Beth well with her faith. Religion and faith were important to her. She was a member of St. Sebastian Catholic Church. During that time, she was an E. O. M. And involved in the Womens Club. She was well respected because she was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner she could.

      A generous and compassionate woman, Mary Beth accomplished much during her lifetime. Though she never set out to gain individual recognition, Mary Beth was recognized and given awards for her many and varied efforts throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included the Employee of the Month Award but the one she treasured most was being considered #1 MOM by her three sons.

      Mary Beth enjoy traveling, but she also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. She rarely tired of going back and revisiting her favorite places. Favorite vacations included trips to Wisconsin and Orlando Florida.

      Mary Beth was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of her favorites was Caesar, her son Bob's little Lhasa Apso. Caesar was a best friend for 14 years. She always complained that he kept jumping on her lap and laying at her feet. Of course, it was because she constantly gave him snacks and some of her food. She used to pat him on the head very hard. Sometimes so hard she would knock him over.

Mary Beth was the perfect hostess. When ever she had company, she would offer them a drink or a sandwich. She liked to take care of people. Her son Bob inherited this wonderful characteristic from her. Since it was easy for Mary Beth to meet and get to know new people, she quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once she met those new friends, she loved sharing stories and talking about the good old days. Since she was practical and cost effective, Mary Beth was ready when that day to retire finally came in 1987. Her new life involved moving in to one of the apartments of a three flat owned by her son Billy and his wife Espie. In retirement, she found new pleasure in being able to play more Bingo, Knit things for everyone and be more involved as an Extraordinary Minister. Even in retirement, Mary Beth stayed in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities that retirement offered her.

Mary Beth moved in with her son Bob and his wife Sandy in 1999. Billy and Espie sold their three flat and Bob always wanted to take care of his mom and have her move in with her. She lived with them and helped with her grandson Jacob. She lived with her son and his wife until 2007. She then went into a nursing home. Her son Robert was crushed when he had to put her in a nursing home but he was no longer able to give her the 24 hour care that she needed. He told her she would never be alone. He visited Mary Beth almost everyday until she passed away. Her son Walter also visited her a couple of times per week with Bob.

      Mary Beth passed away on Saturday March 24, 2012 at Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois surrounded by her loving family. She fought a brave battle against aging, her death was natural... what some may call old age she was 90... She is survived by her three son's Walter,William,and Robert(Sandy) Lukasik, granddaughter Nastassja Lukasik, grandson Jacob Lukasik, great grand-daughter Katelyn Shelton and brother Donald Thesen. Services were held at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home. Mary Beth was laid to rest in St. Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.

      Mary Beth was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever she said something, she meant it. Mary Beth was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. She was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember her for most is the fact that she was so understanding and kind. Everyone whose life she touched will miss Mary Beth Lukasik.