Mariano Mora Obituary

Mora Jr., Mariano "Babe"

Mariano "Babe" Mora Jr., 95, of Norridge, passed away on August 13, 2025... Born the second of five children to Mariano Sr. and Refugio of Morelia, Mexico, both of whom lived beyond 95... Babe's remarkable life was defined by perseverance, hard work and devotion to family...

At fourteen, he used his older brother's birth certificate to work on Great Lakes freighters as a coal passer, certified by the U.S. Coast Guard... For over a year, between 1944 and 1945, he served aboard the Augustus B. Wolvin, the J.S. Ashley, and the Richard V. Lindabury........ That grueling work helped shape his resilience and determination...

As a young man he played softball while his father cheered him on, affectionately calling him "baby"... Mariano mentioned to his dad that it was embarrassing being called baby in front of friends, so "baby" became "Babe," a name that would stick for life... He later became an accomplished bowler, winning championships, including one in the late 1980s with his son...

Babe married Rosemary in 1950... Their first apartment lacked hot water and a bathtub, but together they built a life with two sons, Riccardo and Anthony... After three years, they purchased an apartment building on Bingham Street with his father, who lived there until his passing in 1997... Babe also purchased the building and grocery store next door, where Rosemary ran the shop while Babe drove a truck... Saving his money he went into business for himself, buying one truck, owning as many as eight trucks in his trucking business... All while operating from Bingham Street... Years later he purchased another building on Bingham Street... His presence on Bingham Street spanned seven decades...

Babe was deeply involved in his neighborhood... He organized the kids' baseball team, took the kids to Sox games in his truck, led carloads of families to Phil's Beach in Wauconda, and bought a boat and property on Whitewater Lake in Wisconsin... Later, he remarried Dorothy Cook, becoming stepfather to Robert, Daniel, and Ronald...

Babe purchased a building nearby on Milwaukee Avenue with hopes of fulfilling his lifelong dream of opening a tavern... Unable to open a tavern he instead opened a second hand store and was very successful..... He then purchased another building two blocks away and opened another second hand store and added new furniture...

Babe's dream of owning a tavern was fulfilled when he purchased another building nearby that had a tavern in it... Babe and one of his sons opened and operated the tavern...

A lifelong White Sox fan, Babe attended countless games, carrying forward his father's passion for the team... He proudly celebrated the 2005 World Series parade in downtown Chicago...

Over the years, Babe owned a dozen multi-unit properties, becoming quite handy in repairs, except roofs, taking pride in maintaining them himself... Though successful, he lived simply, but enjoyed vacationing with friends and family, especially to Mexico... He enjoyed road trips and even solo Greyhound bus trips...

Chicago was home for most of his life until 2017, when he sold his final two buildings and moved in with his son in Norridge... He stayed busy with small projects around the house... It was not his first time in Norridge-he and Rosemary had briefly owned a home there in the 1960s, and in his youth he had visited with friends to see the horses... He and Rosemary remained in contact, and years later he visited her in Florida after her husband's passing, accompanied by a granddaughter who ensured the trip went smoothly...

Babe remained independent into his nineties, driving and grocery shopping alone until 2021 when he gave up driving... He kept his sharp memory, reading the daily newspapers and watching the daily news, keeping up to date on current events... He loved movies, recognizing nearly every actor... A few of his favorites included The Petrified Forest, Rooster Cogburn, and Moonstruck, maybe even surprisingly, he also enjoyed comedies like The Jerk, Blazing Saddles, and Three Amigos... Even at 95, he could still sew a button on a shirt and was looking forward to his 96th birthday...

A simple and generous man who worked hard, persevered, loved his family, and never allowed the lack of formal education or the color of his skin to prevent him from achieving success...

Babe leaves behind the best of himself for all those he knew and loved...

Make time for your loved ones now... Don't wait until it's time to say goodbye...

He was preceded in death by his parents.. Brother, Fidel "Felix"... Sister, Linda (Caballero-Ortega)... First wife, Rosemary... Second wife, Dorothy... Stepson, Robert Cook... And many close friends... He is survived by his sisters, Ruth Negrete and Esperanza "Hope" Freund... His sons, Riccardo (Phyllis) and Anthony (Maria)... Their brother, Gerald Mora (Gayle)... Stepsons, Daniel Cook (Barbara) and Ronald Cook (Kim)... As well as many nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren... Babe was especially blessed to hold his newest great-grandchild, Luisa, born in 2025...

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