Obituaries

Nancy Eileen Marshall, age 85, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2020. She was preceded in death by her parents Alfred and Anne Patrick (nee McGee) of Auburn, New York. Loving sister of Judy Janusz (Dick), brother Rick Patrick (Nancy), and several nieces and nephews. Devoted wife of Richard for 61 years. Proud mother of Rick (Sara), Patti (Brian), Cathy (Frank), and Sue. Adoring Grammie of 11 grandchildren: Alex (Thana), Nate (Caitlin), Ben Marshall; Kelly, Maeve, Meghan Farley; Katie, Patrick, Michael, Brigid, Jack Carroll. She bragged about them to anyone who would listen!

Nancy was known for her strong faith, love of family, and lively conversations, especially during spirited card games. She earned her nursing degree in Rochester, New York, and then her career took her to Miami Beach, Florida, where she met her husband, Richard.  He convinced her to move to the Chicago area, where they started their family. While raising a family, she worked in the hospital NICU, volunteered as a school nurse, served adults who were challenged, and ended her career assisting doctors in an OB/GYN practice at Lake Forest Hospital. Nancy and Richard instilled the importance of family, and they worked in unison raising their children and doting over their grandchildren. We have many fond memories of the yearly camping trips to all 48 continental states and visiting the New York relatives. Their strong union was admirable.

We are grateful to her caregivers, especially our dad, for their unending and patient help during the past five years.

 

To honor Nancy’s memory, please offer a Mass or make a donation in her name to St. Patrick Church, 991 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045 or Queen of All Saints Basilica, 6280 N. Sauganash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60646  https://www.givecentral.org/location/165/event/11434

Services are private.

Mom, save a seat for us at the card table and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. XO

Jacqueline Torri nee O’Connor was born in Chicago in the midst of the Great Depression. She could point to half a dozen of the remaining old apartment buildings in Lincoln Park and tell you the month or year she had lived there, joking that they only moved when the rent was due. If you asked her later in life why she had had so many children, she would tell you about how lonely she had been as a child. Her mother left when she was young, and her father would spend days out on Lake Michigan working on tugboats. But even though lonely at home, she made devoted friends even as early as five, friends who were just as present over 80 years later. And in a reversal of most acts of youthful rebellion, she begged her father to be transferred to Catholic school and for the rest of her life church provided her with a sense of belonging. As a teenager, she befriended her Italian immigrant neighbor who become her first real mother figure, teaching her to cook and sew and providing her with unconditional love. It wasn’t surprising then that she married her neighbor’s son and solidified that family connection. She became a mother at 21 and went on to have 5 children total. It wasn’t always easy. They didn’t have much more than she had had as a child, but there was always love. And when her husband’s declining health unfortunately made her a single mother, she persevered with the help of her friends, her church, and the family she had created. Thankfully with time, many of the problems of her childhood and early adulthood were no more. At the age of 58, she had beat out the other ladies at church for the most eligible bachelor, Eddie, then 16 years her senior at 74. She referred to him as the true love of her life, a fact that was clear to anyone who saw them together. They spoiled their 18 grandchildren with a childhood that was far different from her own and even that of her own children’s. They were at every tournament, school play, recital, and graduation from kindergarten to college. Family was absolutely everything to her, and we know she felt incredibly blessed to be able to spend her later years showering her children: James (Robin) Nuccio, William (Linda) Nuccio, Michael (Sandy) Nuccio, Mary (Carmine) Petrassi and AnneMarie Nuccio, eighteen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren with love and quality time. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from her life, and we are immensely grateful that she shared so many stories with us as we are also grateful to have known her and witnessed her faith, perseverance, and love. Services Private. Interment All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please make donations to your favorite charity.

Michael Alan Cobb died at home with family at his side.  Mike was born in Chicago, the only child of Jeanette, nee Van Steenberg, and Cordis Cobb who proceeded him in death.  He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Mary Kay (Henehan), daughters Lynn (Fred) Alvarez, Katie (A J) Riggs and Claire (Brian) Rodriguez and two grandchildren Brian and Katherine Alvarez.  Mike battled metastatic sarcoma for nine years.   He endured the many surgeries and treatments with characteristic puns and jokes.  His goal was to make every person he met in waiting rooms, treatment rooms or hospital rooms smile but preferably to laugh.

While names and dates are important, they don’t capture the person that Mike was.  He was a man of many interests.  He collected hobbies and along the way made lifelong friends.  Photography, bicycle riding, aquariums, books (mostly history and mostly on the British army in India, the World Wars, British military uniforms, military airplanes and the list goes on… so very many books) were just a few of his interests.  Later in life, he loved to cook and took immense pleasure in gardening.  Mike loved to fill his many pots with colorful blooms to decorate the deck.  The first trip to the garden store could not come early enough every spring and his chili is legendary.

Yet his enduring twin passions were painting military miniatures and MGs.  If he was not in the basement painting, Mike was in the garage tinkering on an MG.  He owned two in his lifetime:  a 1972 MGB and a 1953 MGTD.  Mike was actively involved in the Military Miniature Society of Illinois (MMSI) and the Chicagoland MG Club.  He held many offices in each and was president of the MMSI at the time of his passing.  Regardless of his official titles, his absence will be felt acutely by the friends that shared his passions.  Mike’s absence at the breakfast table on Monday mornings will be felt by the MMSI bunch.  His bag of spare parts and willingness to lend a wrench will be missed by MG enthusiasts.

Mike saw his beloved Cubs win the World Series after saying, “Maybe next year,” over and over again.  When baseball season ended, the Hawks hat came on and hockey took center stage.  With a game on the radio and the top down on the MG he was at his happiest.

 

Godspeed, Mike.

 

 

Visitation will be held at St. Alban’s Church, 6240 N. Avondale Ave in Chicago, on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 from 4:30 to 8 P.M.  A graveside service will be held at Maryhill Cemetery, 8600 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL on Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 11 am.  Please wear a mask and observe social distancing.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to the Sarcoma Foundation of America, PO Box 98160, Washington, DC 20090-8160, www.curesarcoma.org/donate/ or the Gary Sinise Foundation, PO Box 368, Woodland Hills, CA 91365, www.garysinisefoundation.org/donate/ are appreciated.

Ronald E. Prenta; adored father of Ronald C. (Norma), Chris (Ken), and Karen (Tom); loving grandfather of Sarah, Brittany, Jeremy (Karlie), Justin (Suzy), and Amber; beloved son of the late Edward and Harriet; dearest brother of Pat (the late John) and Pam (Wally); caring uncle of Cathy (Doug), John (Deane), Jim (Lori), Barb (Rick), Denise (Joe), and Beth (Chris); great uncle to many; cherished friend of Liz, John, Mike, and Tina; Proud National Guard Veteran. Memorial services to be held at a later date. Interment private.

Jorge Bouso, 69, of Chicago; beloved husband and best friend of 35 years to Elvia; loving father of Michael (Rica) and Jennifer; cherished brother of Hector (Valerie); dear uncle of Carolyn and Jacqueline; adored son of the late Candido and Graciela; fond uncle and friend to many. Jorge loved life and lived it to the fullest; making music, eating good food, traveling and spending time with the people he adored, his family. He will be missed every day. Services and Interment Private with a Memorial Service at a later date. Arrangements entrust to Gibbons Family Funeral Home. For info 773-777-3944 or www.gffh.com