Raymond Szkodyn

Raymond Szkodyn, age 70, of Libertyville, passed away at home on January 9, 2023, following a lengthy, courageous battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Ray was the beloved husband of Carol Szkodyn (nee Franke) for 38 years. Dear father of Nicholas (Christine), Matthew, and Mark (fiancée Lauren Ness); cherished grandfather of Violet and Connor; loving brother-in-law to Mary (Michael Mangaser). Ray was the youngest of eight children, born in Chicago to Oleksa and Maria Szkodyn, and is survived by his siblings, John (the late Carolyn), Helen (the late Michael Karachewski), Anne, Mike, Karen (Bob Mathena), Basil (Rita), and Alex. Fond uncle to many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Ray grew up in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood in Chicago and attended St. Nicholas Cathedral School and Holy Trinity High School. He and Anthony Hodczak, his lifelong friend, proudly served together for many years as altar boys at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. From 1972-1974, Ray served in the United States Army as a battery clerk at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Ray’s enthusiasm for repairing things stemmed from working alongside his father at home, which led him to become a certified auto mechanic for many years. He later found employment as an assembly line mechanic at Abbott Labs. He went on to work as a QC lab technician at Hospira, until symptoms of PSP forced him to go on disability and into early retirement.

In his earlier years, Ray’s passion for snow skiing led him to enjoy many trips out west to ski the American and Canadian Rockies. He was passionate about his vegetable garden, and sharing his amazing tomatoes with neighbors and friends brought him much joy. Ray loved his Chicago sports teams, especially the Cubs, Blackhawks, and Bears. After moving from Chicago to Libertyville, Ray and Carol enjoyed many seasons of cheering for their sons at Libertyville High School football and lacrosse games and track and field meets. Ray’s friendly and fun-loving nature combined with his generous heart made him special to all who knew him.

Ray faced the challenges of his illness with dignity and bravery. His final act of kindness and generosity was the donation of his brain to help further PSP research with the hope that one day a cure will be found so others may be spared the suffering this disease brings.

The family would like to thank Apex Hospice for providing compassionate comfort care for Ray and Freedom Home Care for connecting us with Rosie, our kindhearted and devoted caregiver.

Visitation at 9:15 a.m. will be followed by the funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 121 E. Maple Ave., Libertyville, IL. Interment to follow at Ascension Cemetery in Libertyville. Memorial contributions can be made to CurePSP, https://www.psp.org.