Obituary of Ron Kalman, Sr.
Ron Kalman Sr.
On Friday (February 23rd, 2024), surrounded by family and loved ones, Ron gracefully passed away at the age of 73. An upstanding resident of Joliet; he was born December 12th, 1950 in Chicago and was raised on Keystone Ave and would later graduate from Lane Tech High School.
Ron is the beloved husband of 38 years to Elaine (Kruczkowski) Kalman. A loving and supportive father of Kelli (Chase) Miller, Kristi (Christopher) Jadzak, Ronald Kalman Jr, and Anthony (Rebecca Figueroa) Kalman. A proud grandfather of Emma, Haylee, Sloane, Ryker, (granddog) Pebbles, and (grand kitten) Misty.
Eldest brother of John (Yvonne) Kalman, Diane Michalik, and Kathy "Barbie" (Walter) Tomaszewski. Also surviving are his aunt Margaret Garbo, (grandniece) Lyric, and (nephews) Robert and David.
He is preceded in death by his mother Greta (Garbo) Jaworsky, Danny Jaworsky, (niece) Emily Ricketts, and his father Cyril Method Kalman.
Ron was a recently retired truck driver for Jewel Food Stores for 24 years before retiring in 2022. A man of many hats, Ron would go above and beyond to assist his family in any way he could. Whether it was building a bookshelf or changing the brakes on a car, his help knew no bounds. His other hobbies and interests included playing bags, squeezing in a few challenging levels of Candy Crush, admiring the beauty of a muscle car, or simply spending time with his family. While he was a fan of all Chicago sports (except the Cubs) you wouldn't be able to find a bigger Minnesota Vikings fan anywhere around. He will always be remembered for his humor, kindness, and patience but above all else how much he was loved.
A celebration of life in honor of Ron will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name can be made to the American Kidney Association or the American Cancer Society-Research for AML.
For more information, please call the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home at 815-741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave an online condolence.
