Kenneth Mareska

Kenneth ("Ken" or "Kenny") Mareska, Age 78, passed away on March 17, 2025.
On March 17th2025, Ken Mareska drew his last breath. After years of battling Parkinson's disease, his fight ended and he finally received the peaceful rest that he much deserved. Ken was a humble man who grew up on the southwest side of Chicago. He was living testimony that you can take a man out of the southside, but you cannot take the southside out of the man. Though he didn't realize it at the time, he embraced that stereotypic 1950's "greaser" culture. He donned a white or black t-shirt, dark jeans, rode a motorcycle, and never left home without a comb in his pocket. Though Ken was known for having good-hearted fun, he wasn't much of a rebel rouser. He loved his family and was proud to be able to provide for its needs. His motto? To try and be a better person every year.
Despite claiming not to be a hero, Ken had a knack for helping people and has saved more lives than we know of. Ken served his country at Pinder Barracks, Germany, from 1966-1968. After discharge in 1968, he joined the Bedford Park Fire Department as a fireman/EMT/Hazmat team member. He proudly and gratefully served in this position for 35 years. When his neighbor's garage caught fire, he was the first on the scene with a garden-hose in hand. When another neighbor was pinned underneath his own vehicle, Ken was the one who rushed over with a large jack and solely lifted the car from the man's body. There were days when he returned home sore and tired after carrying men, larger that he was, down the aerial ladders in the middle of the night. Despite the reputation of firemen as cooks, his culinary skills were sorely lacking. It was a momentous occasion for his department when it finally taught him to cook one acceptable dish for its members; biscuits and gravy. A photo celebrating the achievement still adorns the firehouse wall to this day.
Ken loved to fish and enjoyed the beauty of the great outdoors. One of his "perfect memories" was fishing on Scott Lake in Minnesota with his father. He described deer playing along the shoreline while the sun was setting and a bagpiper was playing in the distance. If he could have had one last experience with his mom, it would have been fishing and talking with her in their boat on Crooked Lake, Minnesota. He loved fishing trips with family and friends, and won a few competitions along the way. Other interests included sharing a beer with family and friends; enjoying family dinners and card games; playing ping-pong, pool, softball, completing Jumble puzzles over coffee, and watching the Chicago White Sox.
When asked what mattered most to him in life, Ken responded "That question was easy. By far it was my wife and family." "I made the right choice when I married [Kathy]. No regrets." Ken is preceded in death by his beloved father and mother, George and Frances Mareska; sister, Carol; and son-in-law, Brian Keller. Left to celebrate his memory are his wife, Kathleen Mareska; and three children, Clifford Mareska, Jorie (Matthew) Kasper, and Audrey (Brian) Keller. He was the proud grandfather of four handsome men: Owen Kasper, Miles Kasper, Evan Kasper, and Bruce Keller. Additionally, he leaves his loving sister and brother-in-law, who never let him forget the good times, Joann and Richard "Buzz" Kostecki.
"I don't have any regrets. I lived a good life and had some fun along the way."
Thank you for sharing your life with us, Ken. Rest in peace, unsung hero
Visitation, Sunday, March 23, 2025, 3:00PM to 7:00PM at Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice, Illinois. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Kenneth, please visit our floral store.