Patricia M. (Nee Connors) Gruenberg

Patricia (nèe Connors) Gruenberg was born in Chicago on April 2, 1942 to John and Margaret “Peggy” Connors. She spent her last days surrounded by loved ones and passed peacefully on June 27 with her children by her side. Preceded in death by her parents, her brothers John “Jack” and Michael “Mickey” Connors, and her husband Ken Gruenberg, Pat was survived by her daughter Kelly (Tony) Rivera, their children Antonio and Presley, her son Ken Gruenberg, his children Kenny and Avery, her companion Bob Bennett, and so many beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, neighbors, and lifelong friends. While she spent some of her early years in New York, Pat was a Southside Irish girl through and through. She attended Mount Assisi High School and graduated from Calumet High School. Family came first for Pat. She married Ken Gruenberg in 1966 and they established themselves in the family home in St. Bede where she was raised. The young couple inherited her father John along with the deed and they raised their children, Kelly and Ken, in the same home as their Papa. Pat also worked alongside her mother Peggy at George’s Banquets, where she learned from the best about the fine art of service and event management. Pat’s definition of family included friendship and she created networks of friends and neighbors that spanned generations. Her childhood journals illustrate how important these relationships were to her, highlighting a lifelong habit of cultivating strong bonds by remembering details about the people she cared about, celebrating milestones, and supporting them through difficult times. Her love for people and ability to recognize their very essence, along with her quick wit and sense of style, helped her forge a long career in hospitality and retail. She made strangers feel as cared for as her family and friends. She had a unique talent for bringing people together. She offered great advice, made excellent party food, and gave the most thoughtful gifts. Despite a lifetime of health challenges, Pat’s strength never wavered. She enjoyed life so completely, relished her relationships with family and friends so much, and maintained a grace so fueled by her deep faith that her life, from beginning to end, will serve as a reminder to us all that the love we show for others is how we will be remembered. Patricia Mae Esther Mary Margaret Connors Gruenberg will never be forgotten. Wake services will be held at Maher Funeral Home in Tinley Park on Tuesday, July 2 from 3 - 8 PM. On Wednesday, July 3 prayer services will be held at 10:30AM at Maher Funeral Home followed by a funeral mass at St. George's Church in Tinley Park at 11:30AM. She will be interred at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery alongside her late husband Ken during a private ceremony at a future date.