Frances Brzoza

Frances Brzoza, nee Farganus, 93, of Lombard, died Wednesday, Nov. 30, in Lombard.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Dec. 3, at  Christ the King Catholic Church in Lombard, with the Rev. Bill Cullen officiating. Interment was at Resurrection Cemetery.
Mrs. Brzoza is survived by her daughter, Donetta (Jeffrey) Frankiewicz; two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; children, Wayne and Richard; and siblings, Joseph (the late Mary) Farganus, Walter Farganus, Stanley (Gerry) Farganus, Josephine Farganus and Angeline Pecherek.
Mrs. Brzoza was the owner of a grocery story.
Arrangements were made by Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road, Lombard. Call 630-932-1500 for more information.

Diana Jaeger

Diana Jaeger, 60, died on Nov. 15, 2011, following a brief illness.
Diana was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by three sisters and one brother and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her mother, Caroline, and father, Luther.
Diana resided in the Western suburbs of Chicago. Her many artistic talents included oil painting, originating poetry and crossword puzzles. She will be missed by her friends and many fellow animal activists. Renowned at helping protect animals, Diana had a special place in her heart for polar bears and worked tirelessly to bring attention to saving them and their habitat.
She was a volunteer at Brookfield Zoo, where she became a proud “Zoo Parent.” While living in Southern California previously, she participated in an observation study of sun bears at the San Diego Zoo. She also became involved with the care and preservation of lorikeets (parrots) at Safari Park in Escondido.
Diana’s love of “all creatures great and small” may be remembered with a donation to an animal charity of your choice. The family thanks Loyola Medical Center, Maywood, for her care.

Hazel Johnson

Hazel C. Johnson, nee Luckow, 82, of Lombard, died Friday, Dec. 2, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.
A memorial visitation and service will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard.
Mrs. Johnson is survived by her husband, Wally; daughters, Karen (Steve) Musser of Lombard and Sharon (Ron) Binder; three grandchildren; one-great-grandchild; brother, Russell (Edna) Luckow; and sister-in-law, Ann Luckow. She was preceded in death by her brother, Virgil Luckow.
Mrs. Johnson was a resident of Lombard since 1955. She grew up in Florence, Wis., and was a graduate of Florence High School. She had worked in the Florence Bank and also the State Bank of Lombard, and was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the York Township Seniors.
Memorials to West Suburban Humane Society, 1901 W. Ogden Ave., Downers Grove, IL 60515, would be appreciated.
Call 630-629-0094 or visit www.brustfuneralhome.com for more information.

Matthew Nix

Matthew C. Nix, 26, of Lombard, died Thursday, Dec. 1, in Lombard.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Dec. 6, at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lombard. Interment was at Chapel Hill Gardens West Cemetery in Oakbrook Terrace.
Mr. Nix is survived by his parents, Charles and Beverly; brother, Steven; grandmother, Helen Rakow; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and many friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Donald Rakow and Haywood Nix; and grandmother, Peggy Hagamaker.
Mr. Nix spent his entire life in Lombard. He graduated from St. John’s Lutheran School in 2000 and Glenbard East High School in 2004, where he played golf and basketball. He received his B.A. degree in Art from Concordia University in 2009 and was a painter and did sketching. He was a caddy at Glen Oak Country Club since he was 13 years old, coached the boys’ fifth- sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade basketball teams at St. John’s for over eight years; was an avid golfer; and loved his guitars, music and jazz.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran School or to the family for medical expenses would be appreciated.
Arrangements were made by Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Call 630-629-0094 or visit www.brustfuneralhome.com for more information.

Troy R. Pawelko

Troy R. Pawelko, 44, of Lombard, Ill., loving father and husband, left us too soon on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011.
Visitation is at Unger-Horner in Rochelle, Ill., on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 4-8 p.m. Services will be held Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, at Unger-Horner Funeral Home at 10 a.m.. Burial at Woodlawn Cemetery in Creston, Ill.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa Petry; children and stepchildren, Sean, Maura, William, Emily and Caroline; father, Robert (Sandy) Pawelko of Dallas, Texas, and mother, Bonnie (Voyko) Kacvic of Rochester, N.Y.; sisters, Onna (Nick) Jones of Chicago, Ill., and Tasha (Chris) Cavallaro of Fort Collins, Colo.; and father- and mother-in law, Terry and Cindy Petry of Rochelle.
Mr. Pawelko was born on Sept. 20, 1967, in Wauwatosa, Wis., to Robert and Bonnie (Lambourn) Pawelko. He graduated from high school in Cary, Ill., and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and master's degree from the University of Chicago.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in memory of Troy Pawelko. The online guest book is at www.ungerhorner.com.

Ann Tassio

Funeral services for Ann Tassio, nee LaCorcia, 86, formerly of Villa Park, were held Friday, Dec. 2, at Steuerle Funeral Home, 350 S. Ardmore Ave., Villa Park. Interment was private.
Mrs. Tassio is survived by her husband, Charles P.; children, Charles A. (Kyle) and Karen Sum; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sister, Rose (James) Celebron; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her children, Sharon Oltean and Michael; and eight siblings.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated.
For more information, call 630-832-4161 or visit www.steuerlefh.com.

Henry Van Reken, M.D.

Henry Everett Van Reken, M.D., 93, of Downers Grove, formerly of Lombard, died Monday, Nov. 28, in Downers Grove.
A memorial service was held Friday, Dec. 2, at Lombard Christian Reformed Church in Lombard, with the Rev. Cal Van Reken and the Rev. John Huizinga officiating. Interment was private.
Dr. Van Reken is survived by his wife, Rozena “Rose”; children, David (Ruth), Marjorie (Jim) Bogdalek, Calvin (Rosella), Rosemary (John) Strodtman and Philip (Kandace); 16 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Don (the late Elsa and the late Mildred), Stanley Robert (Harriet) and Jean Jensma.
Dr. Van Reken was a physician. He served as a missionary in China from 1947-49 and was a USAF captain from 1949-51. He started his medical practice in Oak Park in 1951, served on staff as chairman of family practice at West Suburban Hospital until his retirement in 1985, was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church and led Bible studies for over 60 years.
The doctor was a member of the Cicero Rotary Club, Oak Park YMCA, Timothy and Elim Christian school boards, Luke Society, Calvin College Board of Directors, Medical Assistance Program, CRC Mission Board, Christian Medical Society and the Chicago Council of NAIC.
Memorials to MAP International, 4700 Glynco Parkway, Brunswick, GA 31525; or CRC World Missions, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids MI 49560, would be appreciated.
Arrangements were made by Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road, Lombard. Call 630-932-1500 for more information.

Florence Wagner

Florence A. Wagner, nee Perry, 84, of Lombard, died suddenly Monday, Dec. 5, at Good Samaritan Hospital Emergency Room in Downers Grove.
Funeral services are pending at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard.
Mrs. Wagner is survived by her husband, Richard E.; sons, David (Mary) of Lombard and Tom of Lombard; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sister, Irene Doughtery; and sister-in-law, Martha Perry. She was preceded in death by her sons, Scott and Dan; and brothers, Harry and Donald.
Mrs. Wagner was a resident of Lombard since 1951. She was a graduate of Lake View High School in Chicago and had worked for Homemakers, retiring in 2000. She had been a volunteer at the local food pantry and enjoyed antiquing as a hobby. She was also a Michael Jordan fan.
Call 630-629-0094 or visit www.brustfuneralhome.com for more information.

William Zaya

William “Bill” Zaya, 75, of Downers Grove, died Sunday, Dec. 4, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.
Visitation is being held today, Dec. 7, at Brust Funeral Home, 135 S. Main St., Lombard. Funeral services are private.
Mr. Zaya is survived by his sisters, Julia Faber, Lydia Zaya and Mary Barnes of Lombard; three nephews; and a great-niece and a great-nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Shalim Zaya.
Mr. Zaya was a resident of Downers Grove since 1979 and was formerly of Lombard, where he grew up and attended Westmore and Ardmore schools, as well as York High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a 1954 graduate of DeVry Institute and was a self-taught computer repairman. He had retired from General Electric after over 30 years and was a former member of First United Methodist Church in Lombard.
Call 630-629-0094 or visit www.brustfuneralhome.com for more information.