Daniel Groth

Daniel Groth, 80 years old, passed away on Thursday, August 17, 2017 at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois. He was born on August 13, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the late Henry and Margaret (O’Malley) Groth, growing up in the house on Tripp Avenue in Chicago, where he shared a room with Grandpa Snazz and helped out at his dad’s pharmacy and soda fountain. On December 24, 1957, he married Kathleen Iris McCluskey in Chicago, Illinois, and remained married to her until 1990. They had nine children together and moved to his dream location of Antioch, Illinois in 1962, where he served as President of the Felter’s Subdivision Association, helped build the piers at the Big Beach and built an addition for a rapidly growing family onto the house on Woods Drive. He moved to Fox Lake in 1990 and married Darlene Pahl O’Malley on April 22, 1994. Together, they spent winters in Panama City Beach, Florida, enjoyed attending grandchildren’s sporting events, visited casinos across the country and were well-known personalities in the Leisure Village community. Daniel is survived by his wife Darlene Groth, sister Maureen (Richard) Fisher and brother Brian Groth. He is also survived by eleven children: Michael Groth, Sue (Bob) Slovick, Dennis (Melanie) Groth, Teresa (Wally) Summerville, Peggy (Bryan) Becker, Tom (Laura) Groth, Jim (Carrie) Groth, John (Julie) Groth, Jennifer “Pumpkin” (Joe) Drinka, Kathy (Bill) Corliss and Chrissy O’Malley; eighteen grandchildren: Harmony Groth, Jackie (Drew) McMahon, Bill (June) Slovick, Elizabeth Groth, Joey (Caitie) Groth, Roslyn Summerville, Erik Summerville, Megan Becker, Haley Becker, Brett Becker, Lena Groth, Audrey Groth, Jackson Groth, Emme Groth, Easton Groth, Shannon (Jordan) Johnson, Ryan Corliss, and one more grandchild due in December; four great grandchildren: Jamie Groth, Flora Rice, Jax Johnson and another great-grandchild due in January; also survived by brother-in-law Michael (Nina) McCluskey and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  

Daniel’s life was filled with many lifetimes. He served in the Naval Reserves, worked at ComEd for over forty years as a lineman, crew leader, President of his local union 1459 and an officer in the IBEW, as well as worked as a Deputy for the Lake County Sheriff’s water patrol department for many years. He was a top notch storyteller, who instilled a love of laughter, learning and exploration in his children and grandchildren, ranging from adventures on Spider Island and boating on the Chain, to games of Trivial Pursuit and Peter, Paul & Mary concerts at Ravinia. He loved the blues, folk music, cooking, baking, fishing, swimming, boating and traveling, and was a survivor of multiple health problems, miraculously beating the odds time and again. According to Daniel’s wishes, half of his ashes will be tossed in the Fox River and the other half in the Chicago River, so that he may enjoy the Chain of Lakes he loved since childhood and glide through the Chicago of his youth. These ashes will connect with each other, join the Illinois River, and then float him down the Mississippi River. He was hoping that part of the ashes would hang up in New Orleans so that he could hang around and hear the blues. His ashes will finally drift out under a perfect sunset into the Gulf of Mexico. Please join Daniel’s family and friends at a celebration of his incredible life, which will be announced at a later date. 

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