Stephen Joseph Karabin

MORTON – Stephen J. Karabin, 88, of Morton, passed away Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria after a brief illness, surrounded by his family. He was born on April 8, 1936, in Nemcovce, Slovakia, to Stefan I. and Suzan (Hruncak) Karabin. Steve married Jeanne Summers on September 24, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois. Surviving are his wife, Jeanne Karabin of Morton; children, Anne Therese Karabin of Davis, Illinois, Julie Marie Karabin Boots of Springfield, Illinois, BethAnn (Joe) Wirth of Morton, Christopher John (Krista) Karabin of Arlington Heights, Illinois and Amy Margaret (Sean) Parham of Los Gatos, California; sister, Mary (Larry) Mitchell of Centerville, Virginia; nine grandchildren, Kelly, Jillian, Christopher, Ethan, Joe, Lauren, Luke, Reid and Ava; and three great-grandchildren, Ian, Aiden, and Donovan. Steve was ROTC at DePaul University and was a Lieutenant in the United States Army stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas serving in air defense. He concluded his military service as a captain in the Army reserves. Steve taught Math at St. Rita Catholic High School for Boys and worked for IBM and Continental Bank in Chicago. He received his MBA from Keller School of Business Management. After Steve retired from IBM, he and Jeanne traveled, volunteered for events at church, and spent many hours in his garden and caring for his fruit trees. Steve's family was his joy. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, often requesting a "fiver" photo. His grandchildren called him by many different names, but his and their favorite was "Grumpy". He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, where he served as a lector as well as singing in the choir. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 318 in Morton, and a founding member of Our Lady, Mother of the Church in Chicago. Per Steve's wishes, his body has been donated to the advancement of science to help medical students learn. The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at OSF St. Francis Medical Center and Richard L. Owens Hospice Home. The level of care and compassion was a blessing during a difficult time. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton. In lieu of flowers, memorials made be made to OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria.
Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Morton is handling arrangements. To leave an online condolence for the family visit www.knappjohnson.com.