Memorial Trees
A
Anonymous
May 13, 2025
D
Diana Lombardo
May 12, 2025
K
Kary L Dunning
May 08, 2025
E
Ed and Donna Vidales
May 03, 2025
A
Anonymous
May 03, 2025
A
Anonymous
May 02, 2025
Memorial trees planted for:
Louis M. Tylka
<p>Louis Tylka was born in Chicago Heights. He was a Korean war veteran and longtime resident of the Chicago area, living in Harvey, Hazel Crest and Tinley Park until 2024 when he moved to Henderson, Nevada to live with his eldest daughter. On April 30, 2025, Lou peacefully passed away at home surrounded by his children. Lou was 93 years old and lived a full life right to the end. In fact, presented with a photo frame filled with hundreds of photographs of family events and outings, his accomplishments and many travels, he said, “My life is unbelievable”. It was.</p><p><br></p><p>Louis was the fifth of ten children born to Victoria (Dominik) and Joseph Tylka, Sr. In order: Lottie Tylka, Anna Pacocha, Mary Madgziak, Joseph Tylka, Jr., Louis, Edward Tylka, Helen Tylka, Bonnie Jablonski, Lisa Galea, and Richard Tylka: all of whom preceded him in death.</p><p>Lou had 22 nieces and nephews. His was a close-knit family that celebrated holidays together and spent many a Sunday picnicking at Wampum Lake.</p><p><br></p><p>He grew up in Chicago Heights where his family belonged to St. Joseph Church. He attended St. Joesph’s grade school continuing to Bloom Township High School where he played sports and excelled at mathematics. He was a lifelong attendee of his graduating class’s reunion breakfasts. After graduating in 1949, he worked for the Thrall Car Mfg. Co until he turned 18 whereupon he joined the Navy. He was a Naval Airman from March 1951 until March 1955 and specialized in Aviation Electronics. His most significant duty assignment was Port Lyautey in French Morocco where he served as a navigator on PV2 Neptune planes during the Korean War. After he left the Navy, Lou was hired by IBM, graduating from their Customer Engineering School in September 1955. Lou loved working for IBM. He won a major award from IBM in 1964 for a successful suggestion that improved the 541 Card Reader. Lou retired from IBM in 1987. </p><p><br></p><p>In 1958 he married Norma Jean Smith (d. 1989) with whom he had six children: Linda Tylka, N.P., Brenda (Matthew) Landau, PhD, Therese (Steven) Dunning, Patricia (James) Arvia, Mary Lou (Gordon) Bryant (both d. 2020), and Bishop Lou Tylka (Diocese of Peoria). He has six grandchildren who affectionately call him Bakka: Rose and Isaac Landau, Rebecca (Brian) Marston and Jacqueline (Foxworth) Dunning, Zachary Arvia and Emily (Ben) DeVries. He was Great Grandpa to Andrew and Allison Marston. As Lou told his close friends, his family was his #1 priority. We did many things together as a family growing up including sitting down to dinner as a family, Sunday mass, eating Dairy Queen dilly bars, fixing jigsaw puzzles and eating his famous handmade popcorn in the big yellow Tupperware bowl. </p><p><br></p><p>Lou was an avid fisherman, taking trips to the Florida Keys, Canada, and Shelbyville, Illinois with his brother Richard and good friends Rudy and Wally. He enjoyed his golf outings with his IBM buddies and for Bishop Lou’s charity functions. As a teenager, Lou and his three brothers built a garage for his family home where his parents had a large garden. Building things and gardening became lifelong passions. While stationed in Morocco, Lou and his buddies took jaunts to many European cities where he indulged his interest in photography; both travel and photography also becoming lifelong interests. He took his family on many camping trips to see the country, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. In more recent years he had traveled to visit family in Seattle, Albuquerque, San Diego, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Indiana, and Kauai. He loved road trips. There was a famous trip to Medford, WI to do some genealogy fieldwork, many cross-country trips between Las Vegas and New Jersey, and a recent trip across Canada to see the Bay of Fundy. He also traveled with family to Mexico, Australia, France and Poland. Lou’s most favorite thing to do was to spend time talking with people; he had an amazing ability to recall jokes and used that superpower to make them laugh. </p><p><br></p><p>Visitation Thursday May 8th from 3 to 8 PM at Lawn Funeral Home, 7732 W 159th Street Orland Park, IL 60462. The Funeral Mass is on May 9th at 11:30 AM at Saint Julie Billiart Roman Catholic Church, 7399 W 159th Street in Tinley Park, IL 60477.</p><p><br></p><p>In lieu of flowers, contributions to the seminarian program at University of Saint Mary of the Lake at 1000 E Maple Ave in Mundelein, IL 60060 would be appreciated.</p>January 4, 1932 - April 30, 202501/04/193204/30/2025
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