Alice Cepa

Alice M. Cepa nee Szymanski, age 95, late of Oak Lawn and Chicago passed away from COVID-19 on July 10, 2020. Alice was born October 4, 1924 in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago and raised in her younger years in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. During the Depression her parents chose to move back to Poland where they had extended families. As a result, Alice was fluent in both English and Polish. When the US declared war on Germany in 1941, the Germans moved her and other American citizens to the Liebenau Interment Camp in Germany where as a teen she spent the remainder of World War II. After the war, she was repatriated to the United States where she lived with her older brothers who had returned to Chicago prior to the war. She met her future husband, Ted, on an outing to Brookfield Zoo. Married in 1949 they had five sons and Alice was devoted to her family. As her sons became more self-reliant she took classes on medical terminology and became a medical transcriptionist back in the days when doctors would dictate their observations which were then transcribed into patient records. Alice was a life long learner, lover of dogs, music, and romance novels. She loved her cruises – and would sign-up for as many bus tours at port stops as our Dad would tolerate. Alice always enjoyed chatting with people and giving advice to anyone who would listen. She was certainly blessed with a gift of "gab". She was involved with various organizations as a volunteer, especially for many years with Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

Beloved wife for 60 years of the late Thaddeus; loving mother of Steven (Valerie), Edward (Linda), Ronald (late Patricia), Jerome (Kathleen) and Daniel (Heather); devoted grandmother of LCDR James (Catherine), Mallory Letica (Stephen), Lori, Tom (Elana), Diane, Michael (Meghan), Rebecca, Kennan (Jacob Rosch), Erin, Reid, Lindsey, Haley, James (Tarra) Fiedler and Jacqueline Fiedler; great grandmother of Blake & Ben Letica, Levi & Riley Cepa, Benjamin & Alice Cepa, Kaitlyn & Joseph Fiedler, and Violet Russell; sister of the late Henry (late Helen), late Eugene (late Mamie), late Michal and Alfred; sister-in-law of Sabina (late Joesph) Ksziek, Eve (late Donald) Ziemba and the late Halina (late Stanley) Zielonka; dearest aunt of many nieces and nephews.

With respect to State of Illinois Guidelines of Phase 4 during this time of COVID-19, the visitation is limited to 50 people or less at anytime, we ask those attending to please keep one's visit brief to allow all to attend. FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED.

Funeral, Thursday, Saint Patricia Church, 9040 S. 86th Avenue, Hickory Hills, Illinois at 11:30AM Mass. FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Entombment Resurrection Cemetery Garden Mausoleum, Justice, Illinois.

You may still show your support for the family by leaving them a condolence on our website or sending a thoughtful card in care of the family to Damar-Kaminski Funeral Home & Crematorium, 7861 S. 88th Avenue, Justice, Illinois 60458 or www.kaminskifamilyfuneralhomes.com