Final Salute

Edward Anthony Michalski, age 90, passed away on March 1, 2026, after a month-long struggle to recover from a stroke at the end of January. Ed was born on December 6, 1935, to Frank “Mike” and Rose (Reichl) Michalski on the north side of Chicago, and was joined a few years later by his brother, Donald. Within a year or so of graduating from St. Michael’s High School, he went on to serve four years in the U.S. Navy Seabees which started him on the path of working in the building trades. After serving in the Navy, he entered the Carpenters Union apprenticeship program and was proud to be a lifelong union carpenter. He married Patricia Naumiec in 1962, and they eventually moved to Park Ridge to raise their four children. After Pat’s passing in 1990, he married Shirley (Kucharczyk) Naumiec in 1994, adding four adult stepchildren to his family.

After retiring in the late 1990s, Ed was generous with his time and skills. Virtually everyone in the extended family has had the benefit of his assistance with home improvement projects of one kind or another. He was also a lifelong bowler, bowling in as many as three leagues at a time post-retirement. After Shirley’s passing in 2021, he was determined to enjoy his final years and some of his favorite things were continuing to bowl in a league at the age of 90, enjoying good meals with family, and going on road trips with his sons (or any combination of the above). Ed is survived by his children and stepchildren: Michelle (Kevin), Dave, and Eric (Geisiela) Michalski, and David, Jim (Karen), Michael (Lorrie), and Brian (Karie) Naumiec, as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the Naumiec side of the family, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins on the Michalski, Naumiec, and Reichl branches of his family tree. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Pat, his wife Shirley, his son Reed, and his brother Don. We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to celebrate Ed’s 90th birthday in December with family and friends, and even more fortunate that those same family and friends were able to spend so much time with him in his final days. Ed supported a wide variety of charitable organizations, so in lieu of flowers or gifts, we have no doubt that he would prefer a donation to the charity of your choice. And if you’re so inclined, he would probably also appreciate a drink in his honor (preferably an Old Fashioned) or going out to your favorite local bowling alley and bowling a couple of lines. A Celebration of Ed’s Life is being planned for sometime in the coming months.

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