Sylvia Kerbis Obituary

Kerbis, Sylvia Loisi Born July 25, 1930. Passed September 19, 2016. Reunited now in Heaven with her cherished husband Sidney H. Kerbis; treasured daughter of Joe and Marietta (nee DeRobertis) Loisi; beloved mother of Karen, Andrea, Jodi (Tom) Zavos, and Sam (Edita); adoring grandmother of Patricia and M Zavos, Sidney Kerbis, Rocky Kerbis, and her princess, Leia. She had a very special bond with Leia, her faithful companion and sentry to the end. Sylvia was a cherished cousin of so many here in Chicago and Bari, Italy; and fond aunt to many loving nieces and nephews. She had a wonderful life, and will be missed forever by her children, friends and family. Born during the Depression, she came of age during World War II, and was a part of Chicago history. She could tell you stories of the Ogden Avenue streetcar, skipping a week of school to see every Frank Sinatra show at the Chicago Theatre, and sleeping on the beach with her extended family on hot summer nights. She grew up in Douglas Park on the West Side of Chicago, and lived to see many changes in America, many of which she embraced, especially cable television and Facebook. She loved being modern. Sylvia held many jobs over the years including working the soda counter at a candy store at Kedzie and Ogden; Holland Furnace Company where she met her dearest friend, Mary Lavelle; Spiegel's on "Madison and Crawford," St. Paul Federal Bank in Galewood; the Country Club Motel in Melrose Park; a neighborhood orthodontist office to cut the bills for braces for her children, Polk Brothers in Melrose Park. Her last and favorite job was working as a receptionist at her daughter, Andrea's beauty salon, where she spent most of the day talking about what to eat for lunch, ordering lunch, and booking out any appointments during lunch so she and Andrea could eat lunch together. Sylvia made lifelong friends wherever she worked, and those friendships always outlasted the various jobs. Sylvia spoke English and Italian fluently, and understood the ways of finance better than any banker on Wall Street. Her greatest pleasure was taking care of her husband, Sidney, a Chicago police officer, and her four children, who tried to drive her crazy sometimes. Sundays at home were like feast days: she always prepared delicious meals and everyone was welcome at her table. Her Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve feasts were legendary. She raised her family in Galewood, and made both education and pursuing dreams a dual priority. She supported her children in every career and life path they choose, and encouraged them all to be happy and successful. She was a loving and supportive wife who took great care of her husband always, nursing him through every illness with tender care. Thank you Rainbow Hospice for your excellent and kind care of our mother (and us) especially Mary and Cecilia, aka "Marge" and "Chinchilla." She is happy now with her husband; her parents; her dearest cousins; Clare and Gino; her sister-in-law; Brenda; her best friend, Mary; her Godsister; Jeanne; her cousin, Tony Feroni; and all of her beloved friends and family who have gone before her. We will miss her forever. One of her guilty pleasures was reading the obituaries of strangers, ordinary people, and marveling at their lives. If you are still reading this, you'd be making her very happy. In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which meant so much to her, at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN, 38105, 1-800-822-6344. Visitation Thursday from 3:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Salerno Galewood Chapel, 1857 North Harlem Ave. Funeral Friday 8:15 a.m. from the funeral home to Divine Savior Church, Norridge. Mass 9:30 a.m. Interment Westlawn Cemetery. 773-889-1700.