Obituaries
Gene J. Kmiec
March 9, 1936 - November 14, 2021
-
VISITATION
November 18, 2021 | 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. -
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
2900 E. Main Street
St. Charles, Illinois 60174 - Funeral
- November 18, 2021 | 10:30 A.M.
-
St. John Neumann Catholic Church
2900 E. Main Street
St. Charles, Illinois 60174 -
Burial Location
Resurrection Catholic Cemetery, Justice, Illinois
Gene J. Kmiec, 85, died Sunday, Nov. 14th. He was loved and respected by his family, friends, and everyone else whose lives he touched.
The son of Josef and Agatha Kmiec, Gene was born on March 9, 1936 in Chicago, the youngest of a clan of 9 children. He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, and is survived by many nieces and nephews, as well as his soulmate, his partner of 40+ years, Richard Bielecki.
Gene was a teacher, nominated for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence. He loved gardening, cooking, family, and traveling far and wide with Richard.
Visitation will be Thursday, Nov. 18th at 9:30 A.M., followed immediately by a funeral mass at St. John Neumann Church, 2900 E. Main Street, St. Charles IL. Internment will be at Resurrection Cemetery, 7201 S. Archer Ave., Justice, IL.
Special thanks to Lightways Hospice of Joliet, and Brighton Gardens of St. Charles. The staff loved and appreciated Gene, as did we all – especially when on the receiving end of not just his kindness, but of his wit and charm.
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Condolences
David & Susan Kmiec from St. Charles, IL
"Gene will be greatly missed. While assisting in his care over the past 3 months, we were so struck by how much everyone who dealt with Gene loved his wit, his style, his generous spirit. Friends, colleagues, bankers, waiters, nurses, the list goes on and on. Gene had the ability to touch lives, and if you met him and had a conversation with him, he stays with you. We have our memories, and that will have to be enough."
Camille Koepnick Shaffer from Glendale, AZ
"I had the pleasure of working with Gene my 10 years in Cicero School District. Our friendship continued when I moved to Arizona. We shared our Polish heritage, recipes and stories about Wigilia. I remember Gene as a man with dedication to teaching and his students, a great sense of humor and a very kind heart. My deepest sympathy and prayers to his partner, family and friends."
Wayne Pedryc from Westmont, IL
"To the Family of Gene Kmiec, Please accept my sincere condolences of the loss of Gene. He was a fine man, and a gentleman. Gene was a colleague of mine at Cicero School. He would also go that extra mile to educate his students. I will always remember how he tutored many students over the years during his lunch hour, and before and after school. That was Gene, who was loved unconditionally by his 6th grade students. I also remember him using his knowledge of the Polish language to tutor and work with newly a arrived pair of sisters from Poland. Being Polish myself, it made the transition of these girls to 7th and 8th grade an easier progression. A consummate team player, Gene was thought of fondly by the faculty as well as him being an excellent teacher and friend. Gene, thank you for being a good friend, a tremendous and selfless teacher, and a part of the fantastic staff we had at Cicero School. Niech cie Bog bogoslawi"
Mara Gracanin Reyes from Brookfield, IL
"To the family of Mr. Kmiec, I send my deepest condolences. I had the pleasure to be one of his 6th grade pupils in '90/'91. After all these years, Mr. Kmiec was one of my favorites. He challenged us, enriched us and was truly generous in spirit. I appreciated his understanding of me as an individual and his respect for me as an 11 year old (treated us like young adults). I wish I could have told him this in person. May his memory live on forever in the hearts and memories of his students...Cicero Chiefs class of 1993. My sincerest prayers go out to his family and to those who loved him."