George J. Zemaitis

George J. Zemaitis

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ST.  JOHN, IN - George J. Zemaitis passed away peacefully on January 12, 2024 with family present and his wife holding his hand. He was 83.

George will be dearly missed by his wife Claudia Rueth Zemaitis, who called him "my port in a storm." George and Claudia married later in life in what they dubbed their "geezer marriage." They merged their families into this union to create a larger pool of love and support.

George is survived by his son, Craig; daughters, Joelle (Chris) Geiger, Nicole (Ali) Fara, Renee (Cory) Lamb and by his brother, Gary and Gary's wife Karen. He will be remembered always by his grandchildren: Joshua and Ben Geiger, Sophia Fara, Collin Firrek, and Alexis Lamb. He was pre-deceased by his parents and by his first wife, Marianne.

George was a loyal friend. He sustained close relationships with a network of long-time associates, colleagues and former students.

In his early years, Craig and Joelle saw their dad as a very hard worker involved in many programs and endeavors, an architect and artist, and a man of moral clarity. He showed his love through his actions and service. . Throughout his life, George was a passionate builder of practical home improvement projects. His home workshops were well used. He created entertainment units, toy train "towns," coffee bars, bookcases, and even Christmas decorations. For complex projects he even drew impressive plans to scale. The results gave him joy and were even more valued by recipients.

Above all, George's focus was on education; it was a calling more than a job. He was a committed teacher and school administrator at St. Francis De Sales High School in Chicago. In his 44 years there, he shared his skills teaching everything from Mechanical and Architectural Drawing/CAD to engineering to physics. He inspired students to see the possibilities of pragmatic creativity and to excel in their future endeavors. He made their lives better.

He will be missed by all who knew him.

Visitation and Funeral Services Friday, January 19, 2024 from 12:30 p.m. until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m. DIRECTLY at St. John the Evangelist Church – Day Chapel 11301 W. 93rd Ave. (Corner of 93rd and 41) St. John. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Chicago Youth Centers, chicagoyouthcenters.org or to Catholic Charities at catholic-charities.org. For more information 219-365-3474 or www.elmwoodchapel.com