Obituary of Louis J. Gnadt

Louis J. Gnadt III (“Lou”) left us on 20 July 2016 to join Buzz, his dad and Dolores, his mom. Lou was born 29 August 1949 in Chicago and lived these last 13 years after his accident at Brentwood North in Riverwoods. Surviving Lou is his wife, Deb Gammon; two brothers, Allen (Patsy) Gnadt and Dave (Pat) Gnadt; and three sisters-in-laws, Sandy (Bob) Kliver, Wendy (Gene) Gabry and Kim (Rodney Dawson) Gammon. A member of the first graduating class from Stevenson High School, Lou was first a volunteer firefighter with the Vernon Fire Protection District and moved his way up the ranks to Captain before his retirement in 1998, having served 31 years. Though he left the firehouse, a piece of his heart always stayed there. Lou loved being the jokester in any situation, and his quick-witted personality brought happiness to the people he loved. He was not a troublemaker as much as an instigator, laughing hard when someone was “caught”. He was at his best when he could enjoy some friendly banter with Deb over her love of the Green Bay Packers. Lou could tell you all the latest sports news – especially about his beloved Cubs and Blackhawks– and always looked for updates about his family, especially his nieces and nephews. He enjoyed playing bingo and blackjack and frequently offered his earnings as ice cream money for his nieces. More than anything, Lou loved his nieces and nephews and always brightened when they came to visit. He will be missed by Theresa, Christina, Margaret, Allison, Mike, Dave, Megan, Beth, and Carrie; his godchildren, Christie, Brian and Kristina; and his nephews of the heart, Ben and Scott. On 1 August, there will be a memorial gathering from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church, Route 45, Indian Creek, IL. A funeral mass will follow at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either Ronald McDonald House (Comer), 5444 S. Drexel Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615 or http://support.rmhccni.org/LouisGnadt or Camp “I am ME”, a camp especially designed for children who suffered injuries from burns, c/o Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, P.O. Box 911, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 or www.IFSA.org/donate.