Dominic J. Ugolini Obituary (1933 - 2020)

Dominic "Dimmer" Ugolini, 86, passed away on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at Heritage Manor Health Care, Bloomington. He was born in Lake Forest, Illinois. If it's true that you can get a pretty good sense of a person by knowing just a few things about them, here are three about the man who was my Dad: Dad ate with gusto and was a champ at cleaning his plate. He liked simple food and wasn't especially interested in things like "chipotle mayonnaise" or adding an orange slice to his beer. Although he grew up on the most extraordinary northern Italian cuisine, his longtime favorite foods were things like cheeseburgers, sausage sandwiches, and country fried steak. He made killer pancakes. Fortunately for him, and perhaps to the envy of his salad-eating wife, he was blessed with a constitution that somehow negated the need to worry about bad cholesterol. A polio survivor before the age of 5, Dad would walk with a slight limp for the rest of his life. When he applied for a walking route as a mail carrier at Highland Park Post Office, some of the men noticed the limp and proceeded to make bets about how long Dad would last in the job. 25 years of carrying mail later, it became only one of many examples of his ability to withstand pain, try again, and just keep going. He married Maureen Jean Zahnle, the cherished love of his life, on November 20, 1954, in Highwood, Illinois. From the first moment he saw her, she was the one for him. When asked why they got married at such a young age (he was 21 and she was 17), Dad would say, "they wouldn't let us get married any sooner." They were married for 63 years. Waiting for him at the Big Santi's in the Sky are his wife, his beloved daughter, Deborah Ugolini Satchwell, his loving sister, Angie Ugolini Tufts, his much-loved brother-in-law, Martin Zahnle, and his dear friend, Jack Thurlwell. What a reunion that will be! He is survived by his children, Jean (Julian) Gorski, Joseph (Laurie) Ugolini, and five beautiful granddaughters, Jennifer (Matthew) Satchwell Sprague, Nicole (Terrence) Satchwell Smith, Melissa Satchwell, Aylssa (Jon) Ugolini Schuldt, and Maryn Ugolini. A special thank you to cousins Ken and Pat Conlin, whose warm and generous friendship went far to sustain Dad in the years after Mom's death. You are blessings, both of you. Cremation rites will be accorded. In an effort to safeguard the well-being of loved ones during the pandemic, a private family graveside service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials to be made to the Funks Grove Church or Funks Grove Cemetery, 7054 E. 535 North Road, McLean, Illinois 61754. Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.calvertmemorial.com