Eleanore N. Szubka

ELEANORE (Elie) SZUBKA was an expressive, caring, and loving individual. She was happy with life, and willingly to share that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For ELEANORE, bringing out the best in a situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or volunteering to help. ELEANORE really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Her parents were Frank and Stella Zainner. ELEANORE was raised in South Chicago, Illinois. Even as a child, ELEANORE had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn't’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good friend, ELEANORE was easygoing and fun loving. She liked to dance, to ice skate and to spend hours sun bathing at Rainbow Beach in South Chicago. ELEANORE was raised with her older sister Harriet (Zainner) Venti and brother, Fred. They all attended Immaculate Conception grade school in the old Polish neighborhood. All grade school classes were taught in both English and Polish.

Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that ELEANORE was fun loving and caring. Elie enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. ELEANORE graduated from Bowen High School in 1943. She excelled in business related courses and pursued additional business education before entering the work force as a young woman.

When the guys went off to World War II, ELEANORE entertained the troops at home through the USO. Soon after the War, she met the G.I of her dreams. She and Sigmund (Ziggy) Szubka were married at Immaculate Conception Church on January 25, 1947.

ELEANORE and Zig were blessed with one daughter, Diane. They were also blessed with two grandchildren , Jenny and Kurt. And four great grandchildren, Karol, Madison, Maria Fe and Colton. Eleanore took time off from paid employment to raise Diane. During that hiatus she became very involved with Girl Scouting. She began as a Brownie leader and then continued in a leadership role with Intermediate and Senior Girl Scout troops. ELEANORE enjoyed singing while doing house work (especially songs from musicals). In fact, ELEANORE had a knack for turning many of those nasty housework chores into singing games.

After Diane was raised and went off to college in 1970, Eleanore returned to the work force. She road the IC train daily to the loop and performed a variety of bookkeeping jobs at several downtown Chicago banks. After Diane was married in 1974, Eleanore and Zig moved from their South Chicago home on Muskegon Ave. to their new pre-retirement home in Tinley Park, IL.

ELEANORE believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1987, ELEANORE took it in stride as one more way to have fun. Her new life involved relocating from the southern suburbs of Chicago to Sun City, AZ. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, ELEANORE remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in her Church, the Sun City Library and many swim / exercise classes at the Sun City Recreation Centers. Even in retirement, ELEANORE continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

ELEANORE enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. She enjoyed sewing, knitting and needlepoint. Some of her favorite pursuits were reading, volunteering in church activities and socializing with friends. ELEANORE had an endless appetite for new and different activities. She was always ready to join in the fun and add her flair and energy to an organization. Because of her personality, her humor, and her ability to get along with everyone, ELEANORE's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which she belonged.

A generous person who often wore her heart on her sleeve, ELEANORE often found herself involved in activities she deemed important. She was charitable, kind and giving, qualities that made her a natural volunteer. Outspoken in her beliefs, yet tactful in her dealings with others, ELEANORE was a member of several community groups. She served as a volunteer at the Sun City Library for many years. Eleanore was recognized as Sun City Library volunteer of the month in 2010.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, ELEANORE recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of St. Elizabeth Seton parish for 24 years. During that time, she was a volunteer in the Seton Shop and a member of Catholic Daughters.

Living life in the fast lane suited ELEANORE just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try most things once. Favorite vacations filled with wonderful memories included cruises to Hawaii, Alaska, Australia and Europe. In 2006, she very much enjoyed a 21 day tour to her ancestral home in Poland accompanied by her daughter, granddaughter and nieces.

ELEANORE passed away on February 26, 2012 at Banner Boswell Hospital, in Sun City, Arizona. On February 17th, she suffered a sudden acute Pancreatitis attack which eventually caused multiple organ failures. She is survived by her daughter, Diane (Szubka) Wilhelm; grandchildren Kurt and Jenny (Wilhelm) Koester; great grandchildren, Karol Wilhelm, Madison Koester, Maria Fe Wilhelm and Colton Koester; and nieces Marilyn Venti and Elaine Venti. On March 1st, a funeral mass was held at St Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Sun City. ELEANORE was laid to rest next to her beloved husband Zig in Sunland Memorial Park, Sun City, AZ.

ELEANORE brought joy to all of those around her. She loved to have a good time. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. ELEANORE NATALIE SZUBKA lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile

Arrangements under the direction of Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary & Cremation Center, Sun City, AZ.