Emil Kvorka of Park Ridge, Illinois passed away peacefully surrounded by family on July 17th, 2022 at the age of 95. With his passing, he is reunited with his wife Virginia whom he missed tremendously. He was a proud father, grandfather, and great grandfather. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Virginia; his father Emil Kvorka Sr.; his mother Mary T. Kvorka and his sister Mary Ann Rebold. He is survived by his Children: Nancy Kvorka (Mark Heimbach); Paul Kvorka (Erin); Linda Markotic (Mirko); Mary Curkov (Will Clark); John Kvorka, (Kerry); Richard Kvorka (Palanya). Grandchildren: Heather (Mikey), Bill (Stacy), Kaitlyn (Kasey);  Rose (Giovanni); Marko, James;  Michael (Allison); Nick; Emily, Grace, Sara, Ben; Tyler, Travis. Great-grandchildren: Jonathan, Isabella, Luka, Alessandro, Ben, and Alexander.  He is also survived by his sister, Elaine McDonald, and a whole host of other family and friends that will continue to carry his memory in their hearts. After growing up in Chicago and graduating from Steinmetz High School, Emil was drafted at 18 years old and served in WWII. He was in the 27th infantry and served in the U.S Army. During his service he was a military police officer spending time in the Philippines and Japan earning several decorations; Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation Medal in Japan, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, and Philippine Liberation. Emil said he was never afraid, even at the age of 18 to serve his country. He was a true patriot proudly waving the American Flag at every home he lived in. He enjoyed patriotic music and loved his country. When Emil was overseas he listened to the Cubs game in the World Series in 1945. He was a loyal Cubs fan and baseball card collector. A fondness he shared with his youngest child. Emil purchased his first car in 1950 soon after WWII ended and production began again. He was proud of his new Ford and tipped the salesman with a nice bottle of whiskey. When Emil returned home, he worked in the family furniture store in Chicago. Working with his father and grandfather at P. Kvorka and Sons Incorporated located on Milwaukee Ave; he began a career in truck driving and was proud of his union membership. Emil met Virginia at a dance in 1954 at the Irving Park YMCA in Chicago. They married later that same year because they knew their futures were destined to be together. They raised six children in Chicago and retired to Pittsfield, Illinois where they resided for 34 years. Pittsfield was a place where they had many good memories and times together. During these years they found passions in their hobbies and collections. Emil was an avid collector of metal cars and trucks. His grandchildren enjoyed coming to see the vast collection and Emil would let them touch and enjoy them just as much as he did. He had over 2,000 vehicles. He was excellent at stats always keeping good records of every penny he spent. He knew where every car or truck was purchased and its cost. Emil and Virginia celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in Pittsfield with family and friends. Soon after, Virginia made her journey home. Emil moved back up to Chicago to be closer to family. He enjoyed his years at Summit of Uptown in Park Ridge where he made many friends. His neighbors at Summit enjoyed his friendly conversations stating he always lit up a room and was always so nice. Emil was a loyal fan of Days of Our Lives and wanted everything he might have to do scheduled around that time because he didn't want to miss one episode. Emil had a great fondness for macaroni and cheese and cookies. A good day would include this meal. He enjoyed all the time he spent with his family. Whether it was to share coins with a grandchild or talk about what was new in their lives; Emil loved this special time with his grandchildren.  At holiday gatherings, birthday parties, or barbecues; Emil wanted to be there and be with his family. To him, his family was everything and he was very proud and grateful for the family he had. He was proud of all his children. We will miss his anecdotes, his favorite phrases, his enthusiasm, and his stories. Living through the great depression, Emil valued and appreciated all the blessings he had. He believed he achieved the American dream. He jokingly would say he wanted to beat the social security system and live as long as he could, but he really meant it.  He enjoyed all his final years in Chicago. Emil liked to say Arigato!  "thank you" in Japanese, a word he learned while serving in WWII.  Arigato! Thank you, Emil. You made a difference in all our lives. We will miss you deeply. Visitation will take place on Thursday, July 21st from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at Cooney Funeral Home located at 625 Busse Hwy. in Park Ridge. Funeral Friday, July 22nd 11:00 a.m. service at Cooney Funeral Home. A livestream of service can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/cooneyfuneralhome Interment St. Luke Cemetery. For information please call 847-685-1002 or visit www.cooneyfuneralhome.com