Edward Nicholas Koenig

Edward Nicholas Koenig passed away peacefully at home in Glenview on August 17, 2021. Ed was born in Chicago on January 13, 1921 and met the love of his life, Norma Strey, in Sunday School when they were 15.  Norma and Ed were married for 77 years until her passing in 2019. He attended Carl Schurz High School in Edgebrook and graduated from the University of Illinois where he was active in ROTC, wrote for the Illio yearbook, and was a Sigma Chi brother. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps and went to Key Field in Mississippi. Before going overseas he asked Norma to marry him. They wed on July 25, 1942 and lived at Fort Macdill in Tampa where he became Adjutant for the 391st Bomb Group. He was stationed in England, France, and Belgium during WWII, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and received France’s Croix de Guerre.

Ed worked in the heavy machinery division of International Harvester and received his MBA from the University of Chicago. The family moved from Edgebrook to Glenview in 1954 where he and Norma built a home, raised their four children, started a bridge club of church friends, and became very active in the community. In 1961 they, along with her brother, founded Koenig & Strey Realtors that eventually grew to 13 offices stretching from the Gold Coast to Libertyville. They were also founding members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Glenview, where Ed was Chairman of the Board of Directors, 1st Reader, Superintendent of Sunday School, and head usher, as well as on the committee that went into prisons and mental institutions throughout Illinois providing Christian Science church services and chaplaincy. His faith was a guiding light and constant source of strength. He was also a Rotarian who lived the principles of service in the Four-Way Test of truth, fairness, goodwill, and equitable benefits. Ed served as Trustee of the Village of Glenview Library where he participated in the Veterans’ Oral History Project (http://gplgenealogy.blogspot.com/2020/05/veterans-oral-history-project.html). He was on the endowment fund of the Glenview History Center, and the planning commission for Patten House, a culturally and economically diverse housing development. Ed was active in Boy Scouts, where he was given the God and Service Award, and the Good Scout Award. He was named Glenview Citizen of the Year in 2010 and recognized as a Significant Sig by the Sigma Chi International Fraternity. He also served as President of the Board of Dairymen’s where he and Norma loved to fish, golf, and vacation with family. Ed attributed his success in life to God’s direction and provision through prayer, hard work, professionalism, ethics, and marrying the right woman.

Ed was a wonderful husband and father who, with Norma, created a circle of love that included friends, colleagues, and community partners. His steady leadership, business acumen, spiritual wisdom, and unconditional support will continue to guide and encourage everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed by his remaining family members: his children, Tom Koenig, Carolyn (Chris) Eigel, Nancy (Craig) Davis, Jeanne Hanson; ten grandchildren, Jeff (Karoline) Eigel, Ted (Andrea) Eigel, Amy (Jason) Reynolds, Chris (Katie) Bolling, Tom (Suzanne) Bolling, Matt (Libby) Koenig, Alissa (Jim) Staples, Meredith Koenig, Megan (Ben) Hanson, Kristen (Geoff) Hanson; and 20 great-grandchildren, as well as loving nieces and nephews. He was reunited in heaven with his adoring wife, Norma S. Koenig, his two sisters, Virginia Denton and Naomi Davis, and parents Ossie and Mattie Koenig. We are grateful to the angels, both human and divine, who attended his passing.

A virtual celebration of life will be held on Sunday, December 19, 2021 at noon on Facebook.

Donations may be made to the First Church of Christ, Scientists, Glenview, 1333 Glenview Rd, Glenview, IL 60025, or a charity of your choice. Celebration of life service is planned for October, date to be determined.