Burgy E. Tomasek, 52, of Aurora, a former teacher turned professional landscaper, died Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora from complications of anangioplasty.
“The key to Burgy is that he never judged people,” said John Marshall, a close friend. “First impressions never meant a whole lot to him, and he just sort of knew there was more than what meets the eye. He accepted people for what they were on the inside, not the outside.”
Born in Chicago, Mr. Tomasek earned a bachelor’s degree from George Williams College in 1971, a teaching certificate from Elmhurst College in 1974, and a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University in 1976. He taught science classes at Carl Sandburg Junior High School in Rolling Meadows from 1975 through 1986.
During that time, Mr. Tomasek worked summers as a landscaper, a job he grew to enjoy immensely. In 1986, when offered a full-time supervisory position with Western DuPage Landscaping in Naperville, he jumped at the chance. He was the company’s construction superintendent, overseeing more than 80 employees at the time of his death.
“All I can say is that the teaching profession’s loss was truly our gain,” said Steve Brodt, owner of Western DuPage Landscaping. “Burgy loved teaching, but he also loved construction, being outdoors, and nature. He was a natural when it came to supervising people, especially when it came to motivating them through example. He was like a second father to a lot of the guys around here.”
Known for his quick wit and dry sense of humor, Mr. Tomasek was also an excellent mimic and could impersonate almost everyone he knew.
“He was our company stand-up comic,” said Brodt. “He caught everything–accents, gestures, the way people walk. He had a real gift and he shared it with everybody.”
A former college volleyball player, Mr. Tomasek was involved with the junior volleyball teams of the Sports Performance Volleyball Club in West Chicago. The day before his death he played five games with youngsters at the club, helping them work out and go through their practice drills.
“He loved volleyball, because as our kids were growing up, it gave him something to do with them and share in their lives,” said his wife Elaine. “He was a vibrant man, with a very young spirit, who enjoyed being with his kids more than anything else.”
Other survivors include his son, Jason; two daughters, Jordann and Janie; his mother, Ruth; two brothers, Wayne and Dave; two sisters, Cheryl Byrd and Janine Zingleman; and several nephews and nieces.
A memorial visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 24021 W. Royal Worlington Drive, Naperville, with a service to celebrate his life at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
