Ray Kozelka, 88 of Algonquin, passed away on Friday, November 6, 2015 at his home following a short illness.
He was bornMarch 8, 1927 He was united in marriage to Vera A. Safranek on April 21, 1951. The couple made their home in Littleton, Colorado for over 20 years before moving back to Algonquin in 1985. Ray served in the United States Army during WW II. He worked for ATT for 47 years and also devoted many volunteer hours to the ATT Pioneers which designed and customized trikes for disabled children. He also enjoyed woodworking, taking care of his lawn and flowers. Ray especially enjoyed a Manhattan or two at cocktail hour and was always the life of the party.
His marriage to Vera spanned more than 6 decades that included countless wonderful and unforgettable memories. Even after Vera’s death Ray continued to keep her memory alive in many ways. There was no husband that loved his wife more than Ray loved his bride. He was a loving and supportive father to his sons, James (Patty) Kozelka of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Michael (Eileen) Kozelka of Huntley. He was “DeDe” to Aislyn, Korbyn, Taylor-Rae, Scott & Steve. He is also survived by his sister, Lorraine Olsen of Naperville,IL. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Vera.
Visitation will be held Monday, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. on and a funeral service will be held Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. on all at DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral & Cremation Service, 10763 Dundee Road, Huntley. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Honor Flight Fund. For more information please call 847-515-8772 or online condolences can be directed to www.defiorejorgensen.com
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What a truly great friend! So sad, but now you are with Vera in heaven. I will really miss you!
Ray is one of my best friends. We met a long time ago when I first started repairing talking books. We became and stayed great friends. Even now, we talked at least once a week and met once a month for lunch. Well, maybe not every month but--. I will miss Ray and for a long time I will be expecting the phone to ring. When I heard the news,I had tears---. Bye Ray, see you soon.
So shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden illness. We will miss the luncheons at Hackney's and talking on the telephone too of course. A very good man with a great sense of humor who loved a good time. A great brother-in-law and uncle to have.