Gregory Kalinowski
May 28, 1950 — August 6, 2016
Gregory J. Kalinowski, 66, passed away August 6, 2016 after surviving three years with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. As he passed, Greg was comforted by Patty (Gucwa), his best friend and loving wife of 14 years. He was also surrounded by his sister, Eileen Neukranz, nephew Ryan Vogt, and cousins Nancy Strom and Carol Basso-McDermott. In his final hours, Greg was in the care of JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington. Greg was preceded in death by his parents, Helen Griffiths Hobert and George Kalinowski, and brother Thomas Long. He is survived by nephews Robert Vogt and John Vogt, niece Nancy Furman, as well as many in-laws, relatives, friends and neighbors.
Greg will be sadly missed by his faithful, furry companions, Winston, Nimbus and Cinder, in addition to the birds, flowers and tomatoes he tended even on his most challenging days. Greg enjoyed each season, relishing the renewal of a spring rain and active summer days as much as crisp fall afternoons and snowy winter mornings. Greg was a true phenologist, attuned to the changes around him. An early riser, he felt that each day held something new to experience and not one was to be wasted. Greg was a lover of life and living things. Lovingly bestowed the moniker of "Thinkologist," he was the family philosopher, a life coach to plants, animals and humans alike. He most enjoyed listening to others, guiding, mentoring and encouraging with his wit and wisdom. Greg was known for his incisive questions and even more incisive answers, which had a funny way of changing your life and making you laugh at the same time.
Greg was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving with TUSLOG from 1969 to 1972, stationed in Ankara, Turkey, and The Azores. He earned a Bachelor of Philosophy from Northwestern University. Greg retired from the MWRD after 27 years of civil service to enjoy life with Patty and their pets in the natural surroundings at their home in North Barrington.
Funeral mass will be held on Friday, August 26, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 451 Terra Cotta Avenue (Rt. 176), Crystal Lake. A memorial visitation will be held the following day on Saturday, August 27, from 2:00-6:00 pm at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 419 East Terra Cotta Ave. (Rt. 176), Crystal Lake.
Memorial donations in Greg's honor may be made to Save-A-Pet Adoption Center, PO Box 266, Grayslake, IL 60030 (saveapetil.org/donate), or Northshore University-Glenbrook, Kellogg Cancer Center (KCC-GB), 2180 Pfingsten Rd, Ste 1000, Glenview, IL 60026 (foundation.northshore.org/donatekellogg).
Patty would like to thank Dr. Robert de Wilton Marsh, the oncology nurses and the medical professionals and volunteers at KCC-GB for their compassionate care for Greg during chemotherapy, and taking time to understand the person that is in every cancer patient.