Jeff Kalbas

Losing Jeff Jeffrey Raymond Kalbas of Addison, IL passed away on Sunday, May 17th, 2020. Coronavirus robbed our family of the opportunity to comfort him at the hospital in his last days and to mourn his death properly. Our grief is compounded by not being able to share this loss with family and friends face-to-face, to share stories, to give heartfelt hugs, but most importantly, to be together. Since we were unable to say our goodbyes in the traditional way, we'd like to provide this virtual memorial to remember Jeff. Please feel free to check out the pictures from his life and share your own pictures and memories too. Remembering Jeff Jeff was the oldest son of Harold (Kal) and Betty's five children, born September 3, 1954. Growing up in Norridge, our house is where all the neighborhood boys congregated. Mom used to say, "I'm happy they are here, so I can keep an eye on them!" Many of those ‘boys' are lifelong friends. We all learned love of family, hard work, and responsibility from mom and dad. Jeff started working at 14 with mom and dad at Heck's Catering and his life was distinguished by hard working hands, his business savvy, and his knowledge and experience in the construction industry. After graduating from Ridgewood High School, Jeff studied construction management at Triton College. He honed his carpentry and general contractor skills throughout his life. He was the ultimate entrepreneur - always working hard to book the next job with my brother Mike. For 35 years, they worked side by side together, a truly amazing feat……especially if you knew Jeff!! I got a small glimpse of their unique partnership when they remodeled at my house last year. The ‘hub-bub' of activity each day that Jeff choreographed could make your head spin. I marveled at his ability to ‘see' how things would look when they were finished. He orchestrated every day like a premier maestro. And the finished rooms still make me happy. And that's how his small business flourished, always with friends/partners he knew for years: Jeff the cabinet guy, Jason the plumber, Bo the electrician, Manuel the tile guy, Peter the granite guy, Joe for real estate, Tom, Gina's brother, for heating/air, and sometimes with Ron, our cousin. Sam and Ghan started as his customers and then became his partners and friends. He was passing on his knowledge to the next generation when nephews Anthony and Jack would work with him and Mike during the summer months. Remembering his love of sports Sports were a constant in the Kalbas household growing up, a favorite being hockey. Our dad would freeze over the backyard to create an ice rink, and all the siblings would skate for hours in the frigid temperatures. When Jeff was a young man, he was hit by a car, which permanently damaged his knee. Sadly, this put an abrupt end to his participation in any sports for the remainder of his life, except golf! Because this happened when he was young, most people don't remember that Jeff was an excellent athlete. Baseball and hockey were his two best sports. We would marvel at his great plays on the baseball field, as well as top-notch skating, stick-handling and slap-shots on the ice. Or, for that matter, while playing street hockey with the wooden goals he built in the garage! Even when he was a kid, Jeff had a deep understanding of the inner workings of sports during the heat of the action. From his days as a young boy, watching the Blackhawks game in the basement with Dad and his brothers, shouting "he shoots, HE SCORES!!!", to his many trips to Blackhawks games as an adult, Jeff was a lifelong Blackhawks fan. Jeff started playing golf in high school and picked it up more frequently when he was older, and from then on it was one of his favorite pastimes. He was known for driving the ball right down the middle of the fairway, even if it wasn't that far! He enjoyed playing on teams and going on golf trips to Florida with his friends Rich, Paul, Joe, Jimmy M., Jimmy H., and Chris. Remembering his love of family If you knew Jeff, you might describe him as a tough, grumpy guy. But underneath, he had a deep love of family. In the last few years, we came to appreciate this when we lost our mom and dad within 100 days. He took being our ‘big brother' very seriously and was fiercely loyal. He embodied the word ‘Strength' and was our rock during a very difficult time. I know that we couldn't have done it without him. Jeff is survived by his wife Gina and their two dogs, Emma and Parker, and his siblings; Kris Zeglin (Barry), Tim Kalbas, Mike Kalbas (Michele) and Peggy Fahy (Paul) and in-laws Tom Palicke (Karen), Sue Pope (Dave), and Lisa Dziurgot. He had many nieces and nephews: Katie, Anthony and Jack Kalbas, Julianne Barberio and Alissa Zeglin, Valerie Delaney, Frank and Mike Palicke, Jackie Pope-Jarke, Dave Pope (deceased), Nick, Dan, Ashley and Brandon Dziurgot and Kelly, Colleen and Kathleen Fahy Saying Goodbye & Celebrating Jeff at Shoeless Joe's We will be celebrating Jeff's life at his favorite hangout, Shoeless Joe's in Addison. Due to the current COVID regulations, we penciled in Sunday, August 2nd and will confirm once closer to date. We will keep you posted.