Thomas Darling Jr., 59, of Oak Forest died following a multivehicle crash Saturday on Cicero Avenue and 157th Street, according to Oak Forest police.
Officers responded to the crash at 10:42 p.m. Saturday, police said in a news release. Darling was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, where he was pronounced dead at 11:35 p.m.
“He didn’t deserve this,” his wife, Dawn Darling, said. “It’s just hard when you don’t get the chance to say goodbye.”
The crash is under investigation in conjunction with the South Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team, police said.
Police asked anyone with information regarding the crash contact the Oak Forest Police Department’s investigations division at 708-687-1376.
His wife described Darling as kind, “an all-around good guy” who loved fishing and the outdoors.
Darling was a machinist by trade, and had previously worked as a police officer in Crestwood, according to his obituary.
“Whether he was casting a fishing line into the water, playing bass guitar on stage, perfecting his latest project in the machine shop, or spending time with family and friends, he embraced life with enthusiasm and an unmistakable spirit,” his obituary read.
Darling was a lifelong martial artist and a music lover, the obituary states. He played bass for the Lost Road Band.
The Darlings had been preparing to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2027, Dawn Darling said.
“We just celebrated our nineteenth,” she said. “We were saving money to put away for that, so we could do something big.”
Darling also had a son and two grandchildren, according to his obituary.
Services have not yet been announced.
elewis@chicagotribune.com
