Theodore Albert "Ted" Kropsch

Theodore (Ted) Albert Kropsch passed away on April 21, 2025, after a long struggle that taxed his body but never his fighting spirit. Born February 23, 1935, in Chicago to Goldie Bess, Ted was genuine, kind, and affable. He was a people person whose only bias in racially segregated 1950s Chicago was between light or dark beer at the corner tavern.
Ted was the husband of the late Helen Palys; a proud father to Jackie Standley (Joe), Judy Kropsch, and Janis Volkman (Bob); a fond grandfather of Paul and Maggie Volkman and Laura Bowman (Dakotah); a loyal brother to Gloria and Joe; and a dear friend to many.
Raised in Chicago's East Village neighborhood, Ted learned how to work hard helping his single mother as the family struggled to make ends meet. He found guidance and support at the Off the Street Club, where he later volunteered as a counselor for underserved youth navigating similar challenges. Ted graduated from McKinley High School in 1953 and studied at the University of Illinois-Navy Pier before enlisting in the U.S. Army, a part of his life he remembered with great pride.
He was deployed to Italy and Germany and rose to sergeant. While in West Germany, he met a young soldier named Elvis Presley. It's not clear whether any of Elvis's love songs inspired Ted to write love letters home regularly to his neighborhood sweetheart, Helen Palys. But a box of these sonnets has been recovered with intact airmail stamps. Ted's impeccable penmanship proved he was positively smitten with her.
After his tour of duty, Ted and Helen married at Chicago's Holy Innocents Church on January 23, 1960, a union that lasted 62 years. In rapid succession, the couple welcomed three daughters into the world, Jackie, Judy, and Janis, eventually settling in the bustling suburb of Schaumburg. Ted worked at the Seiwert Trucking Company, his career-long employer, where he climbed the ladder, earning a management position.
Ted was a huge fan of all Chicago sports teams, especially his beloved Cubs. He was a Bears season ticket holder and followed the team at Wrigley Field, where he attended the 1963 NFL Championship victory.
In his later years, Ted was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease that rendered him blind. Still, he never lost his smile or good nature.
Surely, there's a crowded corner tavern in the sky with the games on TV. The gang is about to welcome a new regular who will quickly become the most popular guy in the joint.
Instead of flowers, please contribute to Foundation Fighting Blindness (www.fightingblindness.org).
Visitation will be held Thursday, May 1 from 10:00am - 11:00am, with a funeral service beginning at 11:00am at Michaels Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 800 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg. Interment to follow at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, in Palatine.
For information, please call 847-891-2900 or visit www.michaelsfh.com.