GILBERT B. BASNIK

1925 - 2021

Gilbert B. Basnik, 95, died peacefully at JourneyCare in Glenview on August 5, 2021. Gilbert was born on September 22, 1925, in Pittsburgh, PA, to Anton and Helen Zbasnik (nee Ostanek). In 1933, his father was elected president of the American Fraternal Union, a Slovenian fraternal insurance company based in Ely, Minnesota. Gil graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1943. Shortly after graduation, Gil joined the Army. He was assigned to the 106th Infantry Division, captured during the Battle of the Bulge, and held in a POW camp in Zeitz, Germany. In April 1945 he escaped, reaching American lines to discover that he had stumbled upon his brother's unit. He was reunited with his brother Bill twenty minutes later. Gil attended the University of Minnesota and was the president of his fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. He graduated with a business degree in 1950. After briefly working in Pennsylvania, he returned to Minnesota to study accounting and take the CPA exam. In 1953, Gil moved to Omaha to work for Peat Marwick. It was there that he met his wife, Ethel Krapfl, whom he married in 1954. A job opportunity brought them to the Chicago area. After several years in Park Forest, they moved to Mount Prospect in 1962, where they raised their four daughters. Ethel died in 1977. After Ethel's death, Gil continued to live in Mount Prospect, serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 29 years, many of them as its chairman. He married Eleanor Sigrist in 1988. They retired to Grayslake in 2004. Gilbert was a brave soldier, as well as a loving father and husband. He was a talented musician who could play the drums, guitar, and piano. He was a whizz at math and finance. He was fortunate that he was able to live a full life until his very last year. He is survived by his second wife, Ellie; his daughters, Susan Herring (Brian), Nancy Birkhofer, Linda Basnik (Chad Johnson) and Cathy Miller (David); nine grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ethel; his parents; and brothers, William and Robert. Visitation will take place on Monday, August 16 10:00am at St. Raymond Catholic Church, Elmhurst Road (Route 83) and Lincoln St., Mount Prospect, with the mass immediately following. The mass will be officiated by Father Rodlin Rodrigue. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at Gil Basnik Memorial Fund or QR Code below.