Andrew A. Kassay

Andrew A. Kassay, of Bloomingdale, passed away May 14, 2020. He was the beloved husband of the late Martha; devoted father of Kevin (Deirdre) and Bradley (Tammy) Kassay; proud grandfather of Margaret and Andrew Kassay; dear brother of the late Bob and the late Tom Kassay and loving companion of Jean Wheeler. Arrangements by Salerno’s Rosedale Chapels 450 W. Lake St. Roselle, IL. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, suggested CDC guidelines should be followed. Please call 630-889-1700 or visit www.salernofuneralhomes.com for more information.

Born in the midst of the Great Depression, our dad grew up appreciating the value of hard work and learning to do so many things for himself. He passed this on to my brother and me by way of many projects around our home while we were growing up. While some of his projects might have taken a while to finish, we did learn how to drywall, tile and paint; solder copper pipe; pour and finish concrete; cut down trees; plant more trees; and plant a garden. We also learned the art of replacing the starter for the car, outside, in the middle of winter.

It wasn’t all work, he did share his love of music and the arts with us. Both of us learned to play an instrument. He was the audio-visual director at Lake Park High School and we got to attend football games, basketball games, plays, concerts and other school events.

When our mom, Marti, got sick with what we now know as depression, he fought to make sure she got the treatments she needed and managed to keep us functioning as a family at home. He supported my mom’s choice to get her Master of Library Science degree which led to her second career as a children’s librarian.

When my brother and I took a while to figure out what we wanted to do in life, he was quietly patient but once we figured it out, he was our biggest cheerleader.

Repeated trips with him to Toledo, Ohio to help his aging parents reinforced with us the importance of helping your family. And when our mom got sick again, he was there to take care of her until she passed away.

His two grandchildren were a source of pride and joy for him. Even as his health deteriorated the last few years, he was always encouraging them and listening to their stories.

And he got a second chance at love when his relationship with Jean blossomed. They met through their friends, a group of retired LPHS teachers and their spouses. They enjoyed eating out, going to plays, going to breakfast with their friends and sometimes, just hanging out at home doing crossword puzzles.

Thanks for everything Dad! We love you!