James Angarola

James “Jim” Angarola, age 79, of Oak Park, Illinois, passed away on August 17, 2024, only

three weeks after the death of his beloved wife, Mary Kay.

Jim was born in Chicago in 1944 to Joseph and Jean Angarola. As an only child, growing up on

Superior St. in the heart of an Italian neighborhood, he was showered with attention from his

parents and grandparents and surrounded by other boys who became surrogate brothers. He

joined the Royal Airs Drum and Bugle Corps as a teenager, competing for several seasons,

staying out of trouble elsewhere, and making friendships that lasted a lifetime.

Jim met his wife, Mary Kay, in 1964. At first she was reluctant to agree to a date, assuming the

scar on his upper lip had come from a fight. In reality, it was a permanent mark left by playing

the bugle. The young couple married in 1967, beginning a lifetime of adventures where they

were nearly always side by side. They were best friends, devoted parents, and business

partners over their nearly 57 years of marriage. The love they shared was deep and enduring

and their steadfast devotion to each other was the foundation upon which their lives were built.

Jim attended Our Lady Help of Christians elementary school and St. Patrick’s high school where

he encountered more than one nun who he believed had it out for him. He tolerated the raps to

the knuckles, the second place ribbon at the spelling bee, and the overall lack of recognition of

how special he was, but over the next six decades he took every opportunity to set the record

straight in conversations with friends and family. He graduated from Roosevelt University, then

worked as a teacher, a recruiter, a broker at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the owner

of several small businesses (Bono’s Italian Beef and the Corner Deli) before settling into his role

as the office manager for his wife’s insurance agency.

Jim’s top priority in life was to care for those he loved – his mother, his kids, his grandchildren,

and Mary Kay. He was a devoted father to Joseph “Scott” and Christina, coaching their sports

teams, patiently helping with homework, and offering support and encouragement at every

stage of their lives.

When his first granddaughter was born in 2009, he and Mary Kay enthusiastically embraced

their new part-time job as “babysitters”. In his first year on the job, he would put on the Baby

Bjorn, slip a bottle of milk into his cargo shorts, and walk for miles with his granddaughter,

getting plenty of smiles from people he passed along the way. Over the next decade, he and

Mary Kay poured all their love and energy into their grandchildren, limiting their travel so they

wouldn’t miss a thing at home.

Jim’s grandchildren could do no wrong in his eyes. It was a sentiment that didn’t apply to his

other great love: the Chicago Bears. Watching the Bears play, more often than not alongside

Scott, was a rollercoaster of emotion, from adoration to loathing, all expressed at top volume.

Jim brought dry wit, top-notch comedic timing, and, most importantly, kindness to his daily

interactions. He loved jazz and big band music, enjoyed watching movies and tv shows until the

wee hours of the night, and was in his element when cooking for his family (his trademark salad,

for instance, included 20-plus ingredients, all finely diced by hand).

When his body started to let him down, he pushed forward, determined to continue living his life

as he wanted to live it, and never complaining. His love and devotion to Mary Kay knew no

bounds. He cared for her as her health declined and chose to schedule her memorial service on

what would have been their 57 th wedding anniversary. Then he passed away in time to celebrate

by her side.

Jim is survived by his loving children Scott (Angela) and Christina (Russell), cherished

grandchildren Sofia and Olivia, treasured aunt Lilian Passarello (John), and dear cousins Bob

(Diane) and Kathy Angarola, Marilee (Tom) Shannon, and Suzy (Frank) Ressa, as well as many

beloved brothers and sisters in law, nieces, and nephews.

In remembrance of Jim's life, his family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The service for Jim will be live-streamed on Monday August 26th beginning at 4:15pm.

The service will remain online for future viewing.