Albert Kordyak Obituary

Dear Friends & Family,

Al is closer to all of us now than ever before. I sense and feel his presence around me. The peace that he brings is a great comfort and a blessing. Many of you, have told me that, you have felt this also.

I pray that "all" of you who haven't experienced this, will.

God Bless,

Kathy



Feb.11th is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. I honor Her.

I thank Her for Her intervention of having Al healed into Heaven on this date, one year ago.

DEAR KORDYAK FAMILY,



IT HAS TAKEN US A VERY LONG TIME JUST TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THIS HEART WRENCHING NEWS. DEEP DOWN I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS HAPPENED. YOU MOVED FROM US IN LOCATION ONLY ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO BUT NEVER OUT OF OUR THOUGHTS OR HEARTS. EVERYTIME I LOOK ACROSS THE STREET I CAN STILL SEE AL WITH HIS CANE WALKING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO EXPRESS ALL THE FUN AND LAUGHS AL AND YOUR FAMILY BROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES. HE WAS A GREAT FRIEND, ALWAYS THERE IF YOU NEEDED ANYTHING. MEMORIES OF SUMMER NIGHTS SITTING IN THE BACK YARD HAVING A FEW..PLANNING THE VERY FIRST KEELER BLOCK PARTY..HAVING AL YELL ACROSS THE STREET YELLING TO THE "BIG GUY" AS RICK WOULD PUT UP HIS "GRIZWALD" DISPLAY AT CHRISTMAS..THE GREAT WAY HE COULD COOK ON THE WEBBER.. I CAN GO ON AND ON...THERE NOW IS A VOID IN OUR LIVES THAT WILL NEVER BE REPLACED...WE PRAY FOR YOU AS YOUR HEARTS ARE TRULY BROKEN AND WE PRAY FOR AL THAT HE MAY BE AT PEACE AND FINALLY WITHOUT PAIN. AND LETS HOPE THAT WHEN WE ALL MEET AGAIN IN HEAVEN THAT AL IS COOKING OVER THE WEBBER WITH HIS BIG WHITE COOLER FULLY STOCKED AT HIS SIDE TELLING US TO GRAB A PLATE CAUSE "THERES PLENTY FOR EVERYONE"



LOVE YOU ALL,

RICK, MARYANN, RICKY, AND TRICIA

I just wanted to let everyone in your family know how sorry I am to hear about Mr. Kordyak. Holly, you and your family have been in my prayers. I have so many great memories about you and your dad from grammar school, and I will never forget them. If you are anything like you were when we were younger, I know you are strong enough to get through this. I am thinking about you and your family.

Dear Kordyak Family,

I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Your father was always friendly and gave a friendly hello everytime we passed. He always had a smile on his face and greeted everyone with that same sincere smile. He will be missed greatly by many because to many, he was someone special. I believe that he is watching over you all and smiling that well known smile, watching what beautiful women you have and will become. Your family is in my thoughts and in my prayers. Mr Kordyak was a loving man and will always be remembered as one.

Best Wishes,

Megan Phelan

Dear Kordyak Family,



I am sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. I was first introduced to Mr. Kordyak as my lunch monitor in grade school. Since then he had left a lasting impression on me. I knew from day one that Mr. Kordyak was special, not only because he was the only dad lunch monitor but because he honestly and hole heartedly cared for everyone he crossed paths with. His genuine care and concern carried out for me as a I grew older and our encounters were not as often. But one thing remained the same, he ALWAYS asked how I was, how my family was and had a genuine interest in who I was as a person! I loved him with all my heart and will miss him greatly! I know that I am a better person because of him and count my blessings that I was able to have such a wonderful person walk into my life. Mr. Kordyak may not have changed the world but he became a part of so many people's lives and he will always be remembered, which to me is an accomplishment in itself! To Mr. Kordyak, thank you for always being there for me and for putting a smile on my face. You are an inspiration and you will never be forgotten.I take comfort in knowing you will be taking care of those in heaven just as you did when you were here with us!! To Mrs. Kordyak, April, Holly and Jackie you are very lucky to have such a wonderful guardian angel to watch over you. My heart goes out to you!! God bless!



Love Always,

Kim Phelan

I first met Al back in 1994 through a very good friend of mine Aram Hill. Aram always talked about Al and how much he meant to him. The night that I met Al, I knew that he was the type of person that could get along with anyone. Eventhough I did not get to know Al as much as I wanted to, I will miss him. I remember myself and Aram going over to his house in Oak lawn to visit, talk and having a couple of beers. He did anything for anyone, no matter who you are. I miss the 4th of July parties as well as the block parties that he and Kathy would be in charge of. They always did a great job. I always had a great time and laughed when we talked. My heart goes out to Kathy, April, Holly and Jackie. You 4 had, and still do have a great man in your home and he will always be remebered.

To one of the greatest men--AL KORDYAK. You have touched so many hearts, more than you will ever know. Your life on earth was much too short, the reason why, we will never know. The sadness that I feel at this moment, is nothing compared to all the pain and suffering you have been through. But now, my dear friend, God has called you home to live with Him forever, free of all pain. I want to take this moment to thank you for being such a dear friend to me, a loving husband to my dear friend, Kathy, and a loving and caring father to your three daughters. I will never forget your untiring love and kindness to my own children, Aram and Briana. You have reserved a special place in all our hearts. To my dear friend ,Kathy, please keep all your strength and faith. You and Al have been truly blessed. One day you will both will be together again, and will live forever, in a place of extreme happiness. To your three lovely daughters, April, Holly, and Jackie: Your father will always be with you, in every thing you do, for he lives within your mind and heart. Please take care of your mother and also each other, for your words and deeds will be a testament to your father. If you ever need anything, I will always be here. With all my heart, I wish you the love your dad has always shown everyone he met. He was a man of exceptional loyalty. May God bless all of you now and forever. Your loving friend, Cindy.

My Dearest Family,

I don't think I can top anythng anyone else has said.What beautiful entries and tributes others have made!Al made an impact on everyone he met and was a very special man!

So many memories,from the time we were young and played hold your milk in your mouth at dinner time as Al would tell us a joke and we had to try not to laugh (what a milky mess that was,but oh so fun!)Growing older Al was there for me through my God awful divorce as well as my next breakup after 8 years to a man I truly loved.He helped me through these hard times and always gave me encouragment to go on in life.Al's philosophy was "life is too short,to do otherwise".Al was a kid at heart,and loved Christmas.He would get all excited thinking about Christmas and it would only be July!!I have so many great memories of this wonderful man who touched everyone he met.He unselfishly gave to everyone he met,expecting nothing in return.Those wonderful memories will be always in my heart.He loved his family more than life itself.We were all very blessed to have him with us. Dear Al soar high amongst the angels now!You will be truly missed,but never forgotten, for you live on in my heart and the hearts of all you have touched.

Always in my heart,

Your sister-in-law

Trisha

the kordyak family,

iam so sorry to hear about al. i ask the good lord to keep you strong and to look over you during this period of time. god bless!!



frank cristiano.

Dear Kathy and Family,

You have my sincere condolences at this extremely sad loss for all of you. I did not know Al, but just be reading the tributes written about him, I can see he was a wonderful man and will surely be missed by everyone. I know this is a very difficult time for you all, I pray for your strength.

I am your cousin Angela - and I am sorry for your loss. Take good care of each other. Remember Al is in a wonderful place now, where there is no pain or suffering. May God Bless you all.



Angela Fiorino

This goes out to the best man I've ever known ( Al Kordyak ). Al was always there for me growing up through the 25 years of my life, teaching me right from wrong and being there when I didnt have a father. I will miss all the great moments we had growing up living across the street from eachother and spending time together. I want to Thank You Al for making me the person I am today. I also want to thank god for making such a wonderful man. God puts people in other peoples lives for a reason and for this I Thank him and love him very much. Al is and will always be a strong man in my heart, when times were tough for me he would turn them around and make them better. The times we laughed and enjoyed the times coming over with Darryl, and my Dad we always had fun no matter what we did. There are so many memories I have with Al. One day when I have a family I know Im going to be like you cause you made such an impact on my life and I know inside that Al and myself are alike in alot of ways. You will always be in my heart, and in my prayers. To Kathy, Holly, April, and Jackie my love goes out to you and thank you as well for the wonderful memories we had together. Al, I cant wait to the day we are all together again. I love you Al.

Dear Mrs. Kordyak, April, Holly, and Jackie,

I am so sorry to hear about the loss of such a great person. I have to say I will never forget coming by to see April and ending up sitting in the kitchen with Mr. Kordyak catching up and listening to his words of wisdom. I think back to how special visits at the Kordyak house were because of him. Not enough families are blessed with a dad as great as Mr. Kordyak, he was so involved in your lives, and touched so many others during his. My heart and prayers will continue to be with all of you. I love you all and want you to know if you ever need anything, please call. Love, Katie Doyle

Dear, April, Madge, Holly, and Shakster,



I am so very sorry for your loss of the greatest man in the world. I still can't believe that this could happen to such an amazing and wonderful man. It feels like a horrible nightmare. I love you all so very much and I wish I could be there with you all. Mr.Kordyak has taught me so many things about life, especially frienship, family, and love, and I will forever remember everything. You were all like my second family and always took me in no matter what. I have so many memories of your father and mine and they will stay forever in my heart and mind. Every time I think of Mr.Kordyak it makes me smile, just thinking how amazing he was. You guys had the BEST husband and father in the world, and I know you know that.He loved you all so very much. No one could ask for a better guardian angel as Mr.Kordyak. He is now free from all the pain and suffering he has gone through for so many years and we all know he is so happy. He would want everyone to be happy too. I am so very sorry and I love you all so very much. I am here if you need anything, please remember that and I love you. I will see you soon.

Dear Neighbors:

Although we've been far apart in distance for the past four years, our hearts have been close. Al's journey from this life leaves us sorrowful, but only because we are selfish. We know our buddy is in a much better place and pray that his soul is at peace. Al is one of a kind. An altruistic friend there for us at all times. We have been immeasurably blessed because Al touched our lives with his friendship. May God bless you too Kathy, April, Holly & Jackie. We pray for your continued strength.



Love, Lori & Tim James

Kathy, April, Holly and Jackie,

Nicole and I want you to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time. Al is one of a kind. He will be missed by many. Al had a knack of being able to bring a smile to anyone's face with whom he crossed paths. One couldn't ask for a more supportive friend. God bless you all. Cheryl & Nicole Marneris

Big Al,

Oh how I will saying that. I still feel like I can pick up the phone to call you and just say something goofy. I think we have always tried to cheer each other up and get a good laugh. One is truly blessed to have a life long friend. I think from the ages 10 or 11 we immediately hit it off and stayed that way throughout our lives. I always felt lucky to introduce you as my best friend. Everyone knew you, & everyone liked you. There was truly a magic about how you could make people feel good. Since you got really sick, I keep thinking of so many different memories. I cannot believe you are gone, but I don’t think there will ever be a day when I won’t be able to crack a smile by just thinking of something we did. From our childhood memories, our marriages, and our children; we covered the full circle together.

Kathy, April, Holly, and Jackie, there is nothing I could say about Al that you do not already know. He truly loved his family. I am just glad Al is not suffering anymore. He was so brave! I called him up last week and one of the last things he said to me was he just wanted to know you guys would be all right. I truly believe you will be. His memories will always be with you.

Please call us if there is anything we can do. From my family to yours, our deepest sympathies. We all loved him and will dearly miss him. God bless Al, and God bless his family.

Love,

Jerry, Debbie, Tom, Joe

Phil, and Stefanie Krawisz

Dear April, Mrs. Kordyak, Holly, and Jackie,

I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Kordyak. I have been thinking and praying for him for so long, it does not seem real to me. You know that I loved him like he was my own father. He taught me such beautiful simple lessons that I take with me through this world. The most important lesson that he taught me was the one of friendship. His voice echoes in my mind as I write this, "You girls need to stay friends." Of course, so many things happen: college, moving, travels, different paths and journeys. These are not bad things, but I do believe that your dad was right in the message he was sending us. Old friends should not lose touch no matter what happens. Little did we know what life was like when he would talk to us in your kitchen on Keeler Avenue about friendship and the bonds that can't be broken. Your father was an excellent human being. I have never met anyone with so much wisdom, humor, love for his children and wife, and determination as him. For years, I was a part of the family and I always was welcomed with open arms. I thank him for this. All the trips that we took to Florida and Myrtle Beach are such happy memories for me with your family and your father. Looking back now, I really think that your father was put here for a reason. He lived his life fully and everyone around him saw this and then tried to live their lives the best that they could. I know this is true for me. My heart and prayers are with you all at this time and I will talk to you soon. Please know that I am here if you need me. I love you all so much and miss you very much. I think Mr. Kordyak is in a place better than this world with no pain and only happiness. He is looking down on all of you watching and helping you through this. I love you all and am so grateful to have been able to know a person as amazing as Mr. Kordyak.

Love Elyse

Dear April and Kordyak Family,

I can not believe this happened to such a great man. A wonderful man, a super man, the best man ever. He was one of the people in this world who could cheer me up no matter how bad I was feeling. He always welcomed me into your home with a big smile and a happy voice that said, "Katie O'Brien!!!" He was everone's favorite lunch dad and the greatest person to see at the St. Catherine's Carnival. Mr. Kordyak makes me want to be a better person, but there is no way that I can ever be as good as him. He is a hard person to be compared to. I love all of you and I hope you stay strong-that is what Mr. Kordyak would want you to do.

Sorry I could not be there,

I love you April and family,

Katie O'Brien

Dearest Family and Friends,

Our dear Al will never truely leave us. He will live on in the kindness he showed, the comfort he shared, the laughter and love he brought into our lives. We are all better people because of him. We were very blessed to have this man who was so much like Jesus Christ.



Love,

Kathy



I'm sure his "Applause of Heaven" was astounding!

Dearest Kordyak Family,

I didn't know Al personal, (only thru my daughter Ronnie), and that's how I came to know Al and your family. My sincerest condolences go out to all of you in this time of sorrow. Rejoice in the fact that Al is no longer in pain, and in a better place!



Muriel Graff

We love you and know you are still here,because your loving heart must have been passed on.. I love you and will miss your smile..love you Bertrum.

Dear Uncle Al,

You have meant so much to me, I love you soo much with all my heart. You have also influenced me, you have shown me how to handle pain,how you can keep on going in life. You have taught me that school is one of the most important things in life. That I will need it when I become an adult so that I can go onto college and get a decent job and raise a family. I will always remember all the times we shared and all the laughs we had.I am very sad that I will never get to talk to you again and never see you, but I am happy that you are not in any pain anymore.Uncle Al I love you soo much and please be my Guardin Angel I will miss you and you'll always be in my heart.

Love

Always and Forever

Briana xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Dear April and Kordyak Family,

I was saddend to read your father's death notice. He was such a wonderful neighbor and friend to many. I am an old childhood friend from Oak Lawn, and I am going to keep you in my prayers and thoughts. His kindness and friendly attitude was greatly appreciated, and this is how I will always remember him. I am so very sorry.



Your Friend Always,

Kristin M. Hogan

Al, you have been and will always be my best friend. The manner in which we met over 25 years ago has been the foundation of our relationship. I have very few "real" friends in my life because I trust very few people. You have been a man of honor. dedication, loyalty, strength, and generosity to so many people. You are the epitome of what God had planned for a man to be. Your love for family and friends was endless. You made others better people, even me.Your courage and strength in the face of so much pain, trials and tribulations in this life, is a tribute to the man you have always been.Your friendship to me was unending, even when I acted foolish, you were even more my friend. I love you like a brother, you were a father to my children who love you so very much. You were a consumate friend to my wife. If you had not been, I would have never had the honor and privilege of knowing you.You have been and will always be in my thoughts. Men like you are very hard to find. I am probably not a very good christian because I do not understand God`s motives. We need men like you here to help us struggling people to be better. I am selfish when it comes to losing you, I miss you so much. the ballgames, the picnics, the pie and coffee nights at Poppin Fresh, the Saturday mornings with my daughter and you, the conversations of friendship and the "tail-gate" parties with your brother. I will miss them so much. You are now out of pain, supposedly in a better place. If you have the time, look-in on me and my family occassionally. Please be my children`s "GUARDIAN ANGEL". May your soul fly with the angels, may your footsteps be next to God`s, may your family be comforted with peace and good health. May we meet again in a world to last forever. Please keep an eye on me, I still need your kindness. I love you, bud! Your friend forever, Hillman

Kathy, April Holly and Jackie:

It is great to have knwon someone like Al. I can truly say that the world was made a better place because he was here. I will carry the image of his selfless love in my heart all the days of my life. As my grandfather would say - "His home is in heaven he was merely here on a visit". I'm glad I was able to share part of his visit.

My Dearest Korkyaks...

I can hardly express all the love I have for you, and all the wonderful memories you've given me over the years...Al, thanks for waiting for me that last weekend in Phoenix... ...Spending that precious time with all of you was a gift sent from God...You can travel peacefully now, knowing all the love and good you've left behind will never be forgotten.

Till we all meet again...Ronnie

With fond memories of Al - the world won't be the same without him.

God bless and keep you all.

Love,

Ken and Amy Blyth

Deepest sympathy for your loss to a good friend of ours.



The Kearney Family

Pat,Connie,Chris,Sharon,Dan,Megan, and Paul

Kathy, April, Holly And Jackie,



Knowing Al has been a true blessing in my life. Al lived his life as the selfless servant. He displayed strength and hope of faith as well as the love of the Lord. Al loved unconditionally and with all of himself. Al loved me through the good and the bad times. When the bad times came, he always tried to take some of the load. He could always make a room come alive with laughter and joy. I thank God for giving me such a beautiful gift, knowing Al. God gave me what I needed in Al, a true loving friend.



Love Cathy

Rest now, your pain is over.

I am glad that I knew you.