Jimmy Beitzel, 10, of Wheeling died of head injuries Saturday in Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. He had been in critical condition since Oct. 23, when he was hit by a truck on Wolf Road in the village.
Police continue to investigate the accident. No tickets have been issued.
Jimmy was a 5th grader at Whitman School in Wheeling.
“He really was a great kid, and he loved sports” recalled Ralph Cook, the school principal. “The whole school is just devastated.”
Jimmy’s main interests revolved around watching and playing sports. He played on teams at his school, as well as those organized by the Wheeling Park District. He played basketball and soccer and enjoyed wrestling, but his true love was hockey.
“He was just very big on it,” said his mother, Sharon.
Recently, Jimmy decided to learn how to play the trumpet.
“He liked the way it looked,” said his mother.
Jimmy also belonged to his school’s Stamp Club and participated in Make a Difference Day, during which volunteers perform acts of kindness. Jimmy went door to door in his neighborhood collecting food for the needy.
“He wanted to make a difference,” said his mother. “He was just a very loving and giving son, and he cared for a lot of people.”
Other survivors include his father, James; a sister, Jennifer; and his grandparents, Erwin and Geraldine Beitzel and Robert and Jane Smith.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Kolssak Funeral Home, 189 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling. Prayers will be said at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home, and a mass will follow at 9:30 a.m. in St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 181 W. Dundee Rd., Wheeling.
Neighbors and friends have set up a trust fund for the family. Donations can be sent to the Jimmy Beitzel Fund, First Northwest Bank, P.O. Box 1700, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.
