Wayne Raymond Matulionis

Wayne Raymond Matulionis passed away peacefully on September 2, 2026, at the age of 76, after a short illness. He is survived by his immediate family, Susan (Novack) Matulionis, Jill Meyer, and Bridget (Paul) Jelonek, as well as many close family members and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Francis Matulionis and Dolores (Hause) Matulionis.

Wayne was born in 1950, and lived his entire life in Cicero/Berwyn/Stickney area. He grew up in a close knit family, and had many funny stories of time spent with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Family was always very important to him, and he especially enjoyed sharing his Lithuanian heritage with others. Whether it was celebrating holiday traditions, or his perfection of Grandma Helen’s kugelis recipe, he always took pride in knowing where he came from and keeping traditions alive.

Wayne was a man of many talents. He learned the accordion at a young age, and then taught himself to play the organ and piano. Many knew him through his years as church organist at a number of Catholic and Methodist churches in the area, including St. Pius X (Stickney), Our Lady of Charity (Cicero), Mary Queen of Heaven (Cicero), Wesley United Methodist Church (Cicero), and others as well. He also played at many family parties and holidays, always ready to take requests and looking for people to sing along.

He had a number of jobs throughout his life, but the profession he was most proud of was his ministry with the Servant Catholic church. Known to many as Father Wayne, he helped countless people who had nowhere else to turn. It didn’t matter their situation, or circumstances, if they needed help, he would do what he could, no questions asked. He provided services and comfort to nursing home residents, weddings for so many, and funerals for many more. His faith was strong, and his heart was always in the right place.

Although Wayne did love flowers, in the spirit of paying it forward, his family asks to consider donating to the following organizations in his memory:

Catnap From the Heart (From where he adopted his beloved Buster)

https://www.catnapfromtheheart.org/general-7

Wounded Warrior Project (He was a proud member of the Sons of the American Legion, in honor of his parents who both served in World War II)

https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Sisters of St. Joseph (La Grange Park congregation)

https://csjoseph.org/ways-to-give/

A Memorial Service will be held at Mount Auburn Funeral Home, 4101 South Oak Park Ave, Stickney, IL 60402, US, on September 25, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.