He was a soldier who has fought with courage in two world wars.
He was a father who courageously took up his cross to help raise and nurture not one but two children who came into this world with many strikes against them. One with cerebral palsy and cognitively challenged, the other with moderate developmental delays and extremely active. Both of these children had the best quality of life possible and were a blessing. He was a father that drove all night to attend a counseling session the next day regarding his son who has grown up to be a fully functioning man who lives independently with support in his own home. He was a father who attended his daughters staffings either in person or by phone. He handled all of his fiduciary responsibilities in keeping track of her financial and physical needs as her guardian A daughter who gave back much love with a huge, infectious smile, to everyone who crossed her path. That smile came from her father genes.
He was a husband who became excited about surprising his wife with a new outfit for her birthday and making sure his youngest daughter had the privilege of helping decide whether the outfit was correct and that he obtain a woman’s perspective on the choice.
He was a husband/father who skillfully guided his two favorite women around the dance floor in 1961, at parties and social gathering at the officers club in Fort Bragg, NC. He was a father I proudly watch march in formation the next day along with the rest of his platoon.
He was a father I would help down the basement on a work bench giving him tools he needed as he created hand made furniture, carvings, or ship models, of great quality and craftsmanship.
He was a father who attended his sons high school track and swim meets, his daughters lassie league softball games providing helpful coaching tips or just cheering us on at each event.
He was a father and a husband who we met for lunch at his office first at 101 Park Avenue and then later on it moved to 6th Avenue of the Americas, in New York City. He was a real sport walking through the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or when he would take us to Lincoln Center to witness Mikhail Baryshnikov in the audience who had just defected from what was then the USSR, United State Soviet Russia while watching another Russian, Rudolf Nureyev perform in the ballet Swan Lake.
He was a father who I spent many hours watching the sun rise in the East over Long Island Sound while fishing for Blue Fish in a Thompson wood boat with a mahogany deck. Or later on a weekend evening, fishing after dark watching the phosphorescence glow dance in the water and listen to the comforting sound of the buoy bell or sometimes the fog horn as we navigated back to our safe harbor using our compass at night.
He was a father and a husband who stayed up all night and carefully packed the car up for a camping trip to Bar Harbor, ME and later further North to Prince Edward Island, CN. I never heard him complain as he got up before dawn’s first light to fetch water in cold morning air or helping his sons pitch a tent in a crowded camp ground or on a beach.
He was a father and a husband who not only packed up a 1960 light blue Dodge Dart complete with a modern push button transmission on the dash, but put up with four squirming, whining, children, three in the back and one in the front to drive us all out to Omaha, NE for family gatherings both his family and his wife’s family, making sure we stayed at both houses. A two day drive with no air conditioning.
He was a husband who took his wife on convention trips to Hawaii, San Francisco, Boca Raton, The Greenbrier, and the Broadmoor Hotel.
He was a Professional Structural Engineer who wrote volumes of articles and performed extensive research on Steel, Nuts, Bolts, Beams, and Welds with a career spanning 46 years and later was a consultant with high moral standards much to the chagrin of greedy attorneys, What you won’t tell a little lie for us?
He was a friend who helped many neighbors over the years, cut down their trees, fix their swimming pools, create rock gardens by the ancient Egyptian method of moving great boulders from a back yard to the front yard. He provided helpful advice on building sheds and planning colorful flower beds.
He was a man who not only lived through two world wars but also survived losing a right hip to complications and stubborn infections while being a young man in his middle 80's.
He was a very wise man, with a rich history full of experiences that were carefully monitored, and perhaps ordained by our heavenly father.
Well done my good and faithful servant;
What this was only the beginning!!!!!!,
“Yes my son, I still have great plans for you”. “You see this was only the orientation class”.
“Happy Birthday”
He was William A. Milek, who as of 2:25 pm on September 3, 2010, at 92 years young went to be with the Lord. If I may quote Father Ken, “We will not be praying for him but rather to him”.
William A. Milek of Glen Ellyn Il. Died peacefully surrounded by his family on September 3rd 2010 at the age of 92. Mr. Milek was born and raised in Omaha, NE., graduated from Central High School and went on to graduate from the University of Nebraska in 1941. He served for four years as a combat engineer in the Pacific theatre during WW II starting a Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th 1941. He continued his service in the Army National Guard where he retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1977. He later went on to become Vice President of Engineering and Research of American Institute of Steel Construction in Chicago, Il., where he received numerous awards for outstanding service in Structural Engineering. He is survived by his children, John (Pamela) of Houston TX., Tom (Fiancé Janet Campbell) of Needam, MA, Anne Milek of Glen Ellyn Il. And James Milek of Kensington Ct. Grandchildren Tony and Maria Milek and great grandson Noah Milek, and two brothers Robert Milek of Omaha, NE. and David Milek of Littleton, CO. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 34 years Elizabeth Malone Milek, his daughter Mary Elizabeth Milek of Beatrice NE. and one brother John Louis Milek of Kennsington, CT. Visitation Wednesday 3pm to 8pm at the Blake-Lamb Funeral Home 5015 Lincoln (1/2 mile South of Ogden Ave Rt. 34) Lisle. Military Honors and Rosary at 7pm. Funeral Thursday 9:15 am from the Funeral Home to St Joan of Arc Church, Mass 10:00am. Burial Assumption Cemetery, Wheaton Il for information 630-964-9392
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