Lawrence Lundgren Obituary

Lundgren, Lawrence Alan Passed away peacefully at 98 years of age on December 10, 2018, at Sunrise Senior Living, Lincoln Park, Chicago. He was born to August and Eva Lundgren in 1920 in Hessville of Hammond, Indiana. After graduation from Hammond High School, he received his B.S. in Physics and an MBA in Business and Industrial Relations from the University of Chicago. During his long teaching career in physics at Hammond High School, his citations for excellence in teaching were numerous. Most notably, he was named by the American Association of Physics Teachers as Indiana's Distinguished Physics Teacher, and the National Forensic League bestowed upon him the Ruby Key for excellence in coaching Speech and Debate. Lawrence was the president of the Hammond Teachers' Federation for ten years and served as vice-president of the Indiana State Federation of Teachers. Following his 35-years at Hammond High School, Lawrence had a second career practicing law before the State and Federal benches in Illinois. His JD was received from Chicago Kent College of Law of I.I.T. He taught labor law at Indiana University NW and was named as the South Suburban Bar Association Committee Member to advise the Chief Judge of Cook County on procedural problems of the Courts of Cook County, Illinois. His first wife, Alice, with whom he had two children, died after 25 years of marriage. His second wife, Alberta Kluesner, died after 43 years of marriage. All his siblings and their spouses have passed away: Gordon (Jean); Doris (Richard) Fordyce; and Norman (Iris). He has one nephew and four nieces. Lawrence had a mellifluous and trained baritone voice. Wherever he lived he performed in musical theatrical productions and as a soloist. Following retirement, he moved from Munster, IN and lived in Cape Girardeau, MO, Rochester, MN, Sheridan and Little Big Horn, WY, Schererville, IN and in Chicago. He loved fishing, ballroom dancing, and traveling. He and Alberta traveled around the world, making many friends along the way. Lawrence was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons for over 62 years, 32nd degree, McKinley Lodge No. 712, as well as a Shriner and member of the Orak Shrine. He was a parishioner at St. James the Less Catholic Church in Highland, IN. Lawrence is survived by two children, his son Mark (Kenda) of Chicago and his daughter Alana (Robert) Wassung of Salem, CT, three grandchildren, Kristopher (Kate) Lundgren of Dundalk, MD, Alissa Wassung of Brooklyn and Gavin (Lily) Wassung of Beacon, NY, and four great-grandchildren, Maren Wassung Schneider and Freya, Chase, and Jane Lundgren. The Calumet Park Funeral Chapel in Merrillville, IN (www.mycalumetpark.com) will be providing cremation and interment services. Arrangements are planned for visitation and Masonic services at McKinley Lodge in Schererville from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on January 18, 2019, and on January 19, 2019, a Funeral Mass at St. James the Less Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. followed by interment at Calumet Park Cemetery in Merrillville. Lawrence's family extends its sincere gratitude for the exceptional care he received at Sunrise Senior Living, Lincoln Park, at Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital, and hospice care by JourneyCare in his final week. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lawrence's memory would be welcomed to the Shriners Hospitals for Children (www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org).