Konstantyn Czaban Obituary

Konstantyn A. Czaban, age 79, of Griffith, Indiana, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2023, surrounded by his family and friends after a brief battle with cancer. Konnie is survived by his wife of 57 years, Shirley, son Tony (Tina) of Quincy, WA, son Jeff (Mike) of Lauderdale by the Sea, FL, son Patrick of Griffith, IN, and daughter Kristen (Roger) of Griffith. He also was blessed with two grandchildren, Kyle (Caitlin) of Spokane, WA, and granddaughter Kelsey (Matt) Evans of Everett, WA. Additionally, he is survived by his sister, Olga of Soap Lake, WA. He also has a nephew Zivko (Peggy) Kuzmanovich of Florida and niece Stana Espino of Illinois, along with numerous cousins and countless friends. Konnie was preceded in death by his mom and dad as well as his older sister, Irene (Lou) Kuzmanovich. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a. m. DIRECTLY at St. Mary's Catholic Church located at 525 N. Broad St. , Griffith, with Fr. Theodore Mens celebrating. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois. A small visitation will take place beginning at 9:30 a. m. at the church until the time of the funeral mass. Friends are invited to meet with the family on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, from 4:00 p. m. to 8:00 p. m. at WHITE FUNERAL HOME located at 921 W. Glen Park Ave. (45th Ave. ) Griffith with a prayer service at 7:30 p. m. Konstantyn, fondly known as Kon or Konnie, was born to Olena and Tymisch Czaban, on January 6, 1944, in Kovel, Ukraine. At the age of 6, his mom, dad, and sister moved from Ukraine and migrated to Ellis Island and New Jersey. Eventually, the family settled in the Chicagoland area. Konnie was a radio man for the United States Army and served a tour in Germany. In 1964, on a blind date, he met Shirley and on November 6, 1965, they were married at St. Andrew's Church in Calumet City, IL. They started their family in Calumet City with the birth of their first-born son, Anthony. Four years later their second son, Jeffery, was born and two years after that, their youngest son, Patrick, arrived. Outgrowing their Calumet City home, the family moved to the current home in Griffith, where they welcomed their last (and first girl) child, Kristen. Konnie was a parishioner at St. Mary's Church and was known for helping setup and work at the parish festival for almost 40 years. After retiring from Inland Steel, Konnie still had an urge to work and took on a job with H&R Block. He continued to work as a tax professional for over 20 years making many new friends along the journey. Konnie was deeply proud of his family, had a passion for camping, and was always behind the camera at any memorial family event or occasion. Konnie will be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, donations to the family would be appreciated. For more information, please contact WHITE FUNERAL HOME at (219) 924-4100 or visit us at www. whitefuneralhomeofgriffith. com