Alice R. Kruk

Alice R. Kruk, of Saint Charles, Illinois passed away in the early morning hours of December 31, 2019 at Prairieview at the Garlands in Barrington.  She was 91. Alice had been in declining health following emergency surgery for a broken hip in November.

Alice will be greatly missed by her husband of 57 years, Edwin, her son, Robert, daughter in law Rebecka, and her nephew Ronald.

She was born on March 28, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois to Anna and Chester Basinski. She had two elder brothers, Chester and Lenard.

As the only daughter and youngest child her infectious smile and giving heart brought joy to many.

Alice was blessed with the gift of music. She studied music and taught piano for many years. As a teenager she performed as a guest pianist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The music she played “Rhapsody in Blue” remained one of her favorite songs all her life.

She was a loyal and dedicated career woman with years of responsibility in executive assistant and secretarial roles. A devoted daughter, she assumed responsibility for care and financial support of her mother following the death of her father. Her mother Anna was Alice’s best friend and lived with Alice until her own death.

Alice loved to dance. When she was 33, she met Ed at the Boulevard Ballroom. He asked her to dance, then asked for her number. When he showed up the following week for their date, she opened the door with that infectious smile and attitude and the rest is history.

They were married May 18, 1963, had their only child, Rob in 1965 and became suburbanites the following year.

With her boundlessly high energy levels, Alice effortlessly balanced the roles of working woman, wife to Ed, mother to Rob, caregiver to her mother Anna, friend to her high school buddies, gourmet cook, fastidious housekeeper, doting Aunt to her two nephews Ronald and Richard, and puppy mom to a succession of dogs; including her beloved Toto and Dudley. Whatever activity Alice was involved in she drove herself and sought to do every task completely and perfectly.

Her love for animals of all sorts brought her years of joy.  Her favorite channel was always Animal planet which she could happily watch for hours. In her later years she became a fan of the Harry Potter series and avidly read each new release.

Ed and she were inseparable and incredibly devoted to each other.

Alice struggled valiantly for years against Alzheimer’s. In 2014, she was officially diagnosed with the disease her own mother had suffered from. It affected her slowly but progressively, stealing memories and bits of knowledge for the next 6 years.

Ed her husband, and helpmate took on all household and caretaking responsibilities, enabling Alice to live in her beloved home despite her advancing fragility.

In August of this year, Ed suffered a stroke which ended their ability to live independently. Alice moved to the Memory Care Unit of the Garlands in Barrington. There she made many friends among the residents and staff.

Ed visited daily, spending time with her. She always lit up when she saw him and never failed to pucker up and lean in for a smooch.

On November 2, osteoporosis took its toll and Alice’s hip shattered necessitating emergency surgery to remove the agonizing pain.

Recovery was difficult.

On December 29 ^th it became clear that her journey was nearing its end. As always, she refused to leave undone what she had started, hanging in until the final day of the year through force of will and determination.

We were blessed to have a final Christmas with her, before she succumbed in the early hours of New Year’s Eve.

Alice is preceded in death by her two elder brothers Chester and Lenard, her nephew Richard, and her parents Chester and Anna.

A memorial visitation is set for Friday, January 3 from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm at St. Anne Catholic Church, in downtown Barrington off Main Street at120 N. Ela Street, Barrington, IL, followed by a Funeral Mass at 2:00 pm and entombment at 3:30 pm at St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, 600 N. Milwaukee Ave Niles, IL 60714.

A remembrance dinner will immediately follow across the street at the White Eagle, 6839 N. Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL 60174, https://www.whiteeagleevents.com . All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research at: https://www.alzinfo.org/donate/donation_form .

“Together we can make Alzheimer’s nothing but a memory”