Markiewicz Funeral Home, P.C.

04/24/2026

It’s strange how grief works…
people think silence is kindness,
but silence is where they slowly disappear.

So please—ask me about them.

Ask me their name,
the way they laughed,
the little things no one else noticed.

Because when you ask,
for a moment… they’re not gone.

They’re right there in my words,
alive in every memory I hold too tightly
and still not tight enough.

I don’t need sympathy—
I need space to remember out loud.

To say their name without it breaking the room.
To smile without feeling guilty for it.

Grief isn’t just missing them…
it’s carrying a love
that has nowhere left to land.

So ask me.

Because love like that
should never be buried in silence. 🤍

04/19/2026

When I think about the person I love and lost, it’s not always the big moments that rise to the surface.

It’s the quiet, ordinary things.

The ones we never thought twice about when they were happening. The ones that felt so normal, so guaranteed, that we assumed they’d always be there.

For me…it’s what I call the “nevers” that hurt the most.

It’s never another phone call.

Not the important ones, but the everyday ones. The call in the middle of the day to ask what’s for dinner, or whether we should just go out instead. The quick check-in to share a small piece of news, or nothing at all. Just hearing their voice on the other end, asking how I’m doing, like it mattered. Because it did.

It’s never another “I love you.”

And what I wouldn’t give to hear those three words just one more time. Said casually on the way out the door, or softly at the end of a long day. Said when I was worried, or scared, or feeling like the world was a little too heavy. Said when I was celebrating something small or big. Or even for no reason at all. Those words carried more weight than we ever realized at the time.

It’s never another hug.

And if I’m being honest, this might be the one I miss the most. That feeling of being wrapped up in someone who knew me completely. The kind of hug where they held on just a little longer, and I held on even tighter. That quiet, unspoken moment where everything felt safe, even if the world outside wasn’t.

It’s never another smile across the room.

That glance you didn’t even have to look for, but somehow always found you anyway. The familiar face that locked eyes with yours and, in an instant, reminded you that you weren’t alone. Even in a crowded room full of people.

And it’s never seeing that face again.

Not the way it was meant to be seen. Not in motion, not alive, not right there in front of you. Now it’s photographs. Still images of someone who was once so full of life.

Here's the thing...sometimes I just wish I could feel something real again.

Just one more time.

Gary Sturgis
Author: ‘SURVIVING GRIEF – 365 Days A Year’

04/17/2026

Victor F. Splitt, age 93, of Naperville, Illinois, passed away on April 12, 2026. He was born on July 11, 1932. A lifelong resident of Lemont, Illinois, he grew up there and spent the majority of his life in the community he loved. Victor is survived by his beloved wife,

04/12/2026

Karissa Mary Raila, 31, of Willowbrook, Illinois, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 10, 2026. Karissa was a deeply creative and caring soul whose warmth touched everyone she met. She had a natural ability to make others feel seen, supported, and valued, offering kindness freely and sincer...

04/12/2026

04/09/2026

Robert Malak, 85, of Lockport, IL Bob Malak is survived by his wife, Gloria nee Bromberek, and his children, Randy Sandy Malak, Pam Charlie Westbrook, and Patti Bill McDonald. Bob had 7 grandchildren, Kyle Malak, Eric Krista Malak, Jeff Malak, Jason Bridget Parker, Jordan Erin Parker, Dan AnneMarie....

04/08/2026

Eleanor Gawell Johnson, age 97, of Kiel, Wisconsin and formerly of Wadsworth, IL and Lemont, Illinois, passed away on March 29, 2026 in Kiel, Wisconsin. Eleanor was born on April 14, 1928 in Chicago, IL, the youngest daughter of Ella Koeppen Gawell and Frederik Gawell. She graduated from Fanger High

04/08/2026

Robert J. Kaufman, 95, of Lemont passed away on April 5, 2026. He was the youngest of 3 children and was born on September 27, 1930, at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Chicago, Illinois to Mathew and Elizabeth Kaufman. He met the love of his life, Rita Kendzora at

04/01/2026

It’s hard to feel joyful when you’re grieving. Below is one way to remember your loved one during the Easter season. Please share how you will you remember your loved one on Easter!

03/31/2026

Paul R. Radous, 78, of Lemont, March 29, 2026. Preceded in death by his parents, Margaret and Robert and his wife, Laima, nee Levanas, Radous born May 12, 1955, passed away June 1, 2020. Survived by his children, Laura Corey Weiser and Phillip Brittany Radous and a grandson, Wyatt. Paul

03/27/2026

Just do it! 🙏🏻