Lucille J. Izak

Lucille Joanne Izak, 95, of Elkhart, left this Earth peacefully to be with her Lord in Heaven on Sunday, June 1, 2025, surrounded by loving family. She was born March 30, 1930, in Gary, Indiana, to Joseph and Frances (Jeska) Zale.

Lucille grew up in Gary where she attended elementary school at Holy Angels school and St. Marks Catholic school. She then attended Lew Wallace High School and graduated 57th in a class of 297 where she excelled in grammar and her major field of study was business.

She married the love of her life, Theodore John Izak on Sept. 5, 1949, at St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church in Gary, Indiana.

Lucille and Ted bought their first home in Gary where they raised eight children. After Ted's job promotion in 1969 the family moved to Elkhart, Indiana, where they built their second family home. Growing up, Lu's hobbies included ice skating in her youth, playing and teaching piano, sewing, knitting, playing cards, especially pinochle and solitaire. She was a member of the Gary Silver Bell Club, a parishioner of St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church, where she belonged to Daughters of Isabella, and various Parish prayer groups through the years. Lu worked as a bookkeeper at Gary Credit Bureau, and as a teller/bookkeeper at Elkhart Postal Employees FCU as well as part-time teller at Band Instrument FCU and as accounts receivable bookkeeper at Dynasty Boats Inc.

After retiring, her ever-growing family kept her busy. Her other interests included watching Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Chicago Cubs ball games, but most of all her favorite show, I Love Lucy. Lucille enjoyed the music of the Big Band Era, especially Polka music and immensely enjoyed listening to her daughter sing and play her favorite songs on guitar for her.

In addition to her parents, Lu was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years in 2018, brothers Raymond, Joseph, and Bernard Zale, her son Laurence Izak and granddaughter Jaime L. (Steve) Chesney. She is survived by her daughter and primary caregiver for the past 13 years, Karen Izak, sons Theodore Izak (Milledgeville, Ga.) Michael (Lisa) Izak, Joseph Izak (New Orleans, LA.) Robert (Lisa) Izak, Kenneth (Libby) Izak, David Izak all of Elkhart. 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are her two brothers Eugene (Cheryl) Zale of Warsaw, Indiana, and Ted (Deb) Zale of East Lansing, Michigan.

Visitation will be at Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home 700 E. Jackson Blvd., Elkhart, Indiana, Tuesday, June 10, from 4 to 7 p.m. with a rosary recital at 6:45 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 11, with a one hour viewing prior to mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1405 N. Main St., Elkhart, with Father Bob Van Kempen officiating. Interment will follow at approximately 1:15 p.m. CST at Calumet Park Cemetery, gathering first at Calumet Park Funeral chapel, 7535 W. Taft St. Merrillville, Indiana, with procession to Calumet Park Cemetery for graveside burial.