Donald Robert Wojcik

April 1, 1940 - February 5, 2022

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Donald Wojcik, 81, was a man of character and integrity, a phrase drilled into him by the Christian Brothers of St. Mel High School, which he exemplified throughout his life. Whether it was volunteering coaching baseball and basketball when he was young, sharing his love of the arts with his community, or connecting with people throughout the sports world, he brought joy through his gift of gab.

Don was born the middle son of Cecile and Walter Wojcik in Chicago, parents who apparently only liked three names since they named their sons Robert Walter, Donald Robert, and Walter Donald. His grandmother dropped him on his head as a baby, an event of which he always joked, "that explains a lot." Well, that and being born on April Fool's Day.

Growing up on the southwest side of Chicago ignited his lifelong love of sports. He attended his first football game at age 7, the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship game. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it was their last title. No matter what city they moved to — Chicago, St. Louis, or Phoenix — Don was a die-hard fan. He was named official historian of the Chicago Cardinals and eventually became friends with many of his childhood idols.

After graduating from St. Mel's, he settled into a career in brokerage operations working in mergers and acquisitions. He stayed on LaSalle Street for over 40 years.

During his early years in operations, Don wrote a sports column for the Life chain of newspapers, was a speaker at several events for young basketball and baseball players, and coached a few softball teams.

He married Barbara Sadlowski on October 26, 1963 and had one daughter, Karen. Later on, when Barbara developed ALS, he took care of her for almost 10 years before she passed away in 1997.

Don was an active member of St. Celestine Parish in Elmwood Park. He sang in the choir and served as president of the Holy Name Society.

In 1979, he co-founded the Elmwood Park Arts and Humanities Commission, which brought concerts and events to the community for many years. Later, he became a founding member of the Elmwood Park Civic Foundation, where he served as entertainment chair. Through the foundation's 4th of July festivals, they raised and distributed over one million dollars for local charities. Don was honored with a plaque from the Illinois House of Representatives for this work.

After his grandchildren were born, he enjoyed talking them downtown on the train to show them the city that he loved — museums, the Sears Tower, and Orchestra Hall, where they watched John Williams conduct music he wrote for some of the kids' favorite movies, including the Star Wars trilogy.

When he moved into Bethesda Rehab and Senior Care, Don served as president of the residents' council, gave talks on topics ranging from Big Band era music to Chicago sports, wrote profiles for the "Connections" newsletter, and sang in the Bethesda choir.

In 2018, he was honored by his high school, St. Mel, with the prestigious Mel Man of the Year award.

The stories he shared around holiday dinner tables, his quick wit, football discussions, and immense love will be missed greatly by his family.

He is survived by his daughter, Karen (David) Berner; grandchildren Tim and Danny; and loving friend Mary Ann Hejna.

Memorial gathering Saturday from 10 A.M. until time of service 11:30 A.M. at The Elms Funeral Home 7600 W. Grand Ave. Elmwood Park, IL. Procession to St. Joseph cemetery.

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