Richard C. Hallgren

He was predeceased by his first wife of 56 years, Joan Viola (Stevens) Hallgren and his second wife, Jenny (Kane) Hallgren as well as his granddaughter, Dana Hallgren. He was a devoted father to Richard S. (Joan M.) Hallgren of Orland Park, Ill and Gayle A. (Kenneth C.) Wolfe of Bow, NH. He was a loving grandfather to Jodi (Jayson) Vallee of Somersworth, NH; Erik (Kristin Monceski) Hallgren of Downers Grove, Ill; Hannah (Kyle) Doherty of Boxford, Mass.; Mark (Lauren Kolek) Hallgren of Kenosha, WI; and Kara (Danny Montesinos) Hallgren of Orland Park, Ill. He was also a thoughtful and caring great-grandfather to Henrik Hallgren, Amelia Vallee, Rowan Vallee, and Andrew Hallgren, with another great-grandchild due later this year.

Richard was born on December 6, 1928 to the late Eric Carl and Anna (Svatik) Hallgren in Chicago, Ill. He graduated from Tilden Technical High School in Chicago. As a talented basketball player, he attended college in Buffalo, NY on a basketball scholarship.

He married Joan Hallgren on October 22, 1949. They raised their children in the Chicago area while being involved with Shriners International and The Order of the Eastern Star.

Richard worked as a bricklayer in Chicago for over 10 years. Then he pursued a lasting career in the insurance business initially working with Beneficial. He then went on to work for CNA, Massachusetts Indemnity, Concordia and finally GBU Financial Life. He became President of the GBU Financial Life District 1000, and he received GBU’s prestigious District Representative of the Year in 2013. He genuinely enjoyed his work and speaking with people as talking was probably one of his greatest pastimes.

As a devout Lutheran, his lasting pleasure was his involvement with Lutheran fraternal organizations, especially the Lutheran Heritage Foundation where he served as a board member. He was actively involved with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and helped provide support for cancer survivors and families. He worked tirelessly on the Lutheran Heritage Foundation’s Food-A-Thon for many years. He also was proud to serve on the scholarship board helping high school and college students to pursue their religious and academic endeavors.

To say he enjoyed sports might be an understatement. He was an avid fan of the Detroit sports teams. He liked tinkering around the house and fixing things. He was passionate about hard covered books and was a voracious reader. He also enjoyed fishing and boating.

A graveside ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 7 at 2 p.m. at the Oakridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123 as well as the Lutheran Heritage Foundation, 51474 Romeo Plank Road, Macomb, MI 48042.

To leave an online condolence to the family, please visit: www.pixleyfh.com