Obituary of Gus P. Kritikos
It is with deep sorrow and pain that we inform you that our father Gus Kritikos passed away Saturday, July 18th at the age of 87. He was at peace and comfortable here at home in his bed surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, our Aunt Chris and his goddaughter Rina. As many of you may know, he had battled congestive heart failure and kidney failure for some time now. Our dad was completely independent until his final days.
He came to this country at the age of 16 from poverty and a very difficult childhood in Greece. He was proud to be a US citizen and was grateful for what this country gave to him. He met the love of his life Margaret (our mom) and for 62 years she stayed by his side through the good times and bad. They were blessed with six children (Steve, Mary, Tia, Pete, Al, & Marcella) and not until a week before his 87th birthday did he meet his oldest son Dan who he never knew existed. So now there are seven children! It was a very positive experience and had he passed seven months ago when they told us he would, it never would have happened. He was happy that he got the opportunity to meet him.
So with seven children, 16 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren (plus one on the way) and our mom, you can see how blessed he was. His favorite saying in Greek translates to “Tough young life, Good old life!”
Our father had great love for a few things...his wife, his family, baseball (especially the Chicago White Sox), the Chicago Blackhawks, playing cards, and horse racing. We’re just not sure if that’s the right order that he would rank them!!
He thanked God every day before his meals and said his prayers every night before bed. We know he would be happy that the priest was here to offer prayers before he passed on.
On behalf of our family, we would like to thank all of you for the outpouring of texts, phone calls and emails.
Our father will be forever loved and missed.
Visitation for Gus will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2020, from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black Rd. (at Essington Rd.), Joliet. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 24, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home with an hour of visiting time beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Joliet. Facemasks and distancing will be observed.
In accordance with Illinois Phase 4 reopening protocols, we will be returning to more traditional visitation and funeral observances. Please see our updated COVID 19 protocols and options on the main page on our website.
For more information, please call 815-741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you may leave a condolence or share a favorite memory.
