All Obituaries

Regina Theresa Pumpera (nee Mylymuch), 88, of Fox Lake, formerly of Chicago, at rest Wednesday, July 17, 2019.  Beloved wife of the late Joseph Robert; loving mother of James (Louise) Pumpera, Joan (Dan) Nugara, and Theresa (the late John) Ruggiero; dear grandmother of Michael (Tricia) and Robert Nugara; and cherished great-grandmother of Danielle, Sara, and Justin Nugara.  Visitation Saturday, July 20, 9 a.m. until time of prayers at 12:30 p.m., Hamsher Lakeside Funerals and...

Evelyn Frances Rayner DiJoseph, 88, of Johnsburg, passed July 12, 2019.  Wife of Joseph; mother of Frank (Pam), Danette, Lisa (Tom) Gough, Jane (Rob) Esposito, Joe (Maureen), Bonnie (John) Agosti, Teresa, and the late Diane (John) Zurawski; grandmother of 19 and great-grandmother of 15; daughter of the late Whitfield and Myrtle (nee McGee); sister of the late Russell, Richard, Ruth, and James Rayner.  Memorial visitation 4-8 p.m., Thursday, July 25, Hamsher Lakeside Funerals and...

Bill Grunewald, 89, formerly a longtime resident of Lake Villa, died Wednesday, July 10, 2019, at home.  He was born in 1929, in Chicago, to the late William and Margarete (nee Gechter) Grunewald. A veteran of the Army, Bill was known by all to be a loving, forgiving, and generous man.  He grew up on, and eventually took over, the family’s Sunset Farm on Route 59 in Lake Villa, which is now part of the Lake County Forest Preserve.  Having been the son of immigrant...

Stephen “Bud” H. Benchick, 90, a resident of McHenry for 49 years, died Sunday, June 30, at JourneyCare Hospice, Woodstock.  He was born in Chicago, August 2, 1928, to the late Stephen and Eileen (nee Travers) Benchick. A veteran of the Navy, Steve was stationed in San Diego and worked on a carrier as an airplane mechanic and Seabee 45.  He went on to become a diesel mechanic and retired from Local 301. Steve had a lifelong passion for being on the water and was an...

Clara Aguado (nee Palazzolo), 85, a 20-year resident of McHenry, died Saturday, June 29, 2019, at home.  She was born in Chicago on January 27, 1934, to the late Anthony and Lena (nee DiJoseph) Palazzolo. Clara was the cherished wife of the late Paul Luciano Aguado; loving sister of Phyllis (Peter) Alfano, Mary (Donald) Matulka, and the late Joseph (the late Betty) Palazzolo; and beloved aunt of many nieces and nephews, especially Donald, Lisa, Lena, Jolena, Santina, Francesca,...

Jayne I. Homan (nee Sayles), 100, of McHenry, died unexpectedly Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital.  She was born August 16, 1918, in Sioux Falls, SD, to the late Ernest and Marian (nee Cornue) Sayles. A native of Fox Lake, she was the granddaughter of E.O. Sayles, pioneer of the Fox Lake area.  With her husband, Elmer, they co-owned Homan’s Sporting Goods in Fox Lake for 38 years, which was located on what was her grandfather’s...

Anton “Tony” Thomas Cerny, Jr., of Spring Grove, was born April 5, 1940, to the late Anton Sr. and Antoinette (nee Klecan) Cerny and passed away June 19, 2019. Tony grew up on Chicago’s Southwest side, in a Bohemian/Polish neighborhood on Sawyer Avenue.  He was a 1954 graduate of McCormick Grade School and a 1958 graduate of Harrison High School.  His family moved to Ingleside in 1961, realizing their dream of living in the country on Wooster Lake, where they had...

R. Gilman “Gil” Johnson, was born in Chicago and moved to Libertyville in 1955.  Following graduation from Lake Forest College in 1960, he attended Chicago Kent College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor of Law degree in 1963. While in law school, he was a Lake County Deputy Sheriff—following law school, he became a Lake County Assistant States Attorney. In 1966 he, along with John Soffietti, formed the law firm of Soffietti and Johnson in Fox Lake,...

Vivian V. Meier (nee Rosendahl), 86, a longtime resident of Fox Lake, died Sunday, June 9, 2019, at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Barrington. She was born December 15, 1932, in Chebanse, IL to the late Jesse and Lillian (nee Hoppel) Rosendahl.  On June 16, 1951, she was united in marriage to Francis “Frank” Meier at Assumption Catholic Church in Ashkum, IL.  The couple later moved to Fox Lake, where they raised their family. Vivian was an extremely selfless and...

Michael Terrance O’Neill, 58, of Fox Lake, formerly of Johnsburg, passed peacefully Thursday, June 6, 2019, at home.  He was born July 1, 1960, in Chicago, to the late Terrance P. and Barbara Ann (Ridge) O’Neill. A car enthusiast, Michael was a General Motors automotive and certified Cadillac Master Technician for 35 years, having worked at several area dealerships. He received many accolades from General Motors for his outstanding mechanical...