Fredrick Charles Stiegart

Fredrick Charles 'Fred' Stiegart, age 94, found eternal peace on Monday, October 27, 2025. He was a 67-year resident of Naperville, Illinois and was born on November 6, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois to his parents, Fredrick and Virginia (Pietrucha) Stiegart. He is survived by his three children, Cheryl Stiegart (Greg) Locke, Karen Stiegart Koller, and Thomas (Kathy) Stiegart, sister Diane Stiegart (Jim) Jankowski, twelve grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 61 years, Geraldine 'Gerry' Carol Stiegart; brother, Robert Stiegart; sisters, Virginia Stiegart (Robert) Lucas, Carol Stiegart (Walter) Zaleski, and Elaine Stiegart (Frank) Schmitz; parents; along with many caring friends.
Fred was a devoted Catholic and longtime parishioner of Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Naperville. Fred lived a hard-working and adventurous life. His childhood consisted of riding the steers in the Chicago stockyards, sneaking into Comisky Park to watch the White Sox play, and working at a very young age to help support his parents and family. After graduating from Tilden Tech High School, Fred joined the U.S. Navy and served active duty in the Korean War as a medic on a destroyer earning many honors and traveling the globe. Fred became a draftsperson at Western Electric where he met his loving wife. He earned a 2-year technical degree from Roosevelt University and advanced to an electrical engineering role at Bell Laboratories (Lucent Technologies), where he retired with 40 years of service-never taking a sick day.
While Fred's upbringing was that of grit and hardship, he was known for his loving and silly nature. It was common to see him break out into dance, jokingly holding out his hat asking for loose change, and to recite his coined phrase: "Is your name Charlie?" Later in life, during times of sickness, when a nurse would ask "What do you need?", his response would be "The winning lotto numbers."
Providing for his family was always Fred's top priority. Fred and Gerry's home became a loving sanctuary for all their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Fred enjoyed traveling, taking his family on long adventurous road trips and relaxing vacations across North America. Whether it was the white sands of Longboat Key, the Maroon Bells of Colorado, or the impressive Sequoia trees of California, Fred's camera was full of memories with his family at his side.
Fred was a storyteller. His grandchildren all heard the fable of Puffy the Cloud, the uplifting tale he told as they enjoyed their heaping bowls of ice cream prepared by their nana, Gerry. Christmas consisted of him dressing up as a directionally confused St. Nick, so he could provide his grandchildren with giggles and gifts. No matter the event, his family and friends could always rely on Fred to be there and always at least ten minutes early. Fred was a resilient man forged from steel who left the world far softer than how he found it. He leaves behind a true testament of living along with the smile and laugh lines of all who knew and loved him.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer that you make a donation to the Society of the Little Flower.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 4:00-8:00 PM at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, November 6, 11:00 AM in the Holy Family Chapel at SS. Peter & Paul Church, 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville. Interment will follow at SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Naperville.