Margaret Ferruzzi

Margaret (Stanczak) O’Brien Ferruzzi of Waukegan, Illinois died January 17, 2025 at age 88. Margaret, who typically went by Marge, was a lifelong resident of North Chicago and Waukegan, Illinois. She was known for her strong will, unwavering determination, and love and support for her family and community.

Marge was born to Helen (Dangwillo) and Edward A Stanczak in Waukegan, Illinois. She grew up in North Chicago’s Polish community and graduated from Holy Rosary Elementary School. She went on to attend Waukegan High School and Marquette University where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the College of Business Administration in 1957. She also attended Boston University for education credits and Roosevelt University for a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education and Counseling.

Marge enjoyed a long career in education, teaching at Grayslake Elementary School, Mother of God Elementary School in Waukegan, and Our Lady of Humility Elementary School in Beach Park, before obtaining her final teaching post in 1974 at Waukegan West High School. At Waukegan West she taught in the Business Department and was particularly fond of her accounting classes and leading the DECA Inc., formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, program. Her teaching tenure at Waukegan West coincided with her children’s high school years, and Jean was frequently stopped in the hallway and told, “Mrs. O’Brien is my favorite teacher.” Marge retired in 1994 after twenty years.

Marge was preceded in death by her two husbands. In 1954 Marge met John (Jack) William O’Brien of Winchester, Massachusetts while he was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Marge and Jack were married at Holy Rosary Church in North Chicago in 1958 and went on to have two children, Jean Marie and Maureen Margaret. They were married for 29 years when Jack died. In 1991, Marge married Glenn Anthony Ferruzzi, who was also a retired Waukegan public school teacher. They were married for 30 years until Glenn’s death in 2021. Through Glenn, Marge inherited a large extended step-family.

In 1967, Marge and her first husband Jack built their family home in Waukegan in which she still lived at the time of her death. In addition to many trips to visits Jack’s family in Massachusetts, they spend happy family weekends in their second home in Door County, Wisconsin where they enjoyed reading and playing board games in the wooded solitude; visiting the beaches, dunes, and caves of Lake Michigan; and riding bikes and cross-country skiing.  During her second marriage, Marge and Glenn continued to enjoy Door County including with an annual Door County family week.

Marge loved traveling, particularly to Europe. She was in Berlin for the fall of the Berlin Wall, and after the fall of the Soviet Union, tracked down and visited lost relatives from Poland (her father’s relatives) and Lithuania (her mother’s relatives). She and Glenn traveled extensively including trips to Ireland, Spain, Greece, France, Holland, Belgium, and Eastern Europe as well as numerous trips to Italy.

Marge also enjoyed reading, riding her bike, listening to music, attending concerts, and dancing. Luckily, both of her husbands were great ballroom dancers. Both Marge and Glenn loved gardening and created a gorgeous backyard retreat. In recent years, even when legally blind, Marge remained active. She enjoyed her weekly brunches with her group of women-friends whom she referred to as the “Cane Brigade” and dinners with a group of retired teachers. In good weather, she loved to eat at Dockside Dogs at the Waukegan Harbor. In 2024, she was able to travel to California for her granddaughter Jackie’s wedding and to Door County for the annual family trip. She recently hosted her beloved Christmas Eve celebration in her home.

Marge was a parishioner of St Dismas Catholic Church for 58 years. She was a member of American Association of University Women (AAUW) Waukegan Area Branch for over 50 years, and served as the President from 2007 to 2009. She volunteered with the Friends of the Waukegan Public Library and was on the Waukegan Library Board of Trustees. She was part of the organizing committees for both her High School and Elementary School reunions.

In addition to her parents and two husbands, Marge was preceded in death by her brother Edward A Stanczak, Jr.

Marge is survived by daughters Jean (Patrick) Gibbons and Maureen (Wesley) Ward and grandchildren Jacqueline (Blake Olsen) Gibbons, Rosemary Gibbons, Julia Ward, and cousin Noelle Taras. She is also survived by stepchildren Lynne (Andrew) Angelos, John (Anne Rafelson) Ferruzzi, and Robert (Melody) Ferruzzi; step-grandchildren Melissa (Eric) Anderson, William (Kirsten Johnson) Flegal, and Jake, Erin, Alex (Breanna), Cooper, and Paxton Ferruzzi; and step-great-grandchildren Sophia, Nolan, Jonah, Samuel and Tatum.

Visitation will be at Gurnee Funeral Home on Thursday January 23, 2025 from 4 to 7 pm. A funeral mass will be held on Friday morning at 11:00 am at St Dismas Catholic Church in Waukegan with a 1-hour visitation beginning at 10 am. All are welcome for a post-funeral luncheon at a location close to the church which will be announced at the visitation and funeral.

Donations in Marge’s memory may be made to the Chicago Botanic Garden. A commemorative brick will be placed at the garden in her honor. Donation instructions are as follows:

Honoree Name: “Margaret Ferruzzi”

Via the internet: 

https://www.chicagobotanic.org/donate then click on "Donate Today" then "Tribute Gifts" then select an amount under “Tribute Donations”   

By Mail:  Send Check to Chicago Botanic Garden Attn: Tribute Gifts 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022

By Phone:  Call 847-835-8333