Richard Luckritz, age 86, passed peacefully on November 29, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

Richard grew up in Dubuque, Iowa.  He earned his Bachelor's Degree from Loras College in Dubuque before completing  his Masters from University of Iowa.  He moved to Chicago to teach English and met his wife Kathleen (Kathy).  They married and moved to Des Plaines where they lived for over 40 years.  He learned to play the piano and trumpet at a young age and continued to play trumpet well into his adult life in the Des Plaines Community Band.  He taught English at Maine East High School in Park Ridge for over twenty-five years.  For his retirement from Maine East, Richard said, "Life in itself is an education - and if you can give  of yourself unselfishly without ulterior motives  and with meaningful purpose - then you have achieved the goals along the path that God has created for you."

As a 40-year resident of Des Plaines, Richard volunteered as the Des Plaines Cable Television Commissioner Chairman.   He had a flair for the dramatic and loved directing and performing on stage.  In Chicago, he loved being cast as an extra in the TV series Untouchables and films Home Alone and Miracle on 34th Street.  Richard and Kathy became snowbirds after retirement and spent more than a decade traveling between Redington Shores, Florida and Des Plaines. They were actively involved in the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Richard was preceded in death by his wife of forty-three years, Kathleen.  He is survived by his only brother Steve (Monie) Luckritz.  Richard is survived by his four children: Mary Luckritz, Tom (Holly) Luckritz, Joanne (John) Ladino, and Jackie (Jon) Gustafsson, as well as seven grandchildren: Ethan, Nicholas, Gabriel, Alyssa, Kieran, Magnus, and Annika.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Our Lady of Hope Church, 9711 West Devon Avenue, Rosemont, IL 60018,  on April 20, 2024, with a gathering time at 10:00 AM and a Mass at 10:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Richard's name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601, https://www.alz.org/?form=FUNSETYDEFK . Funeral care provided by G.L. Hills Funeral Home and Cremation Center. For information, please call 847-699-9003 or visit www.glhillsfuneralhome.com .