Richard G. McCallister

Rick was a kind, loving, intellectually creative man. He loved to connect with people and joke
around with his down-home yet deadpan sense of humor, but also enjoyed tinkering with
computers while listening to Peruvian or Hawaiian folk music, reading antique
encyclopedias, and studying old maps of Chicago.
Rick was born in 1954 to Odis and Joan McCallister. He was the third of three children.
Rick's oldest sibling is Wayne McCallister and his sister is Sandra Gruba McCallister.
Rick completed his degree in mathematics at the University of Illinois Chicago Circle and
worked as a software engineer.
He was fascinated by finding solutions to problems and his insight would often leap ahead
and lead him to a solution which he would then need to work backwards to figure out how it
would work.
Rick was married to Wilma (Griinke) McCallister in 1976. Their daughter Helen was born in
1982. Wilma had a strong sense of adventure and Rick accompanied her on yearly
backpacking treks, despite his fear of heights. Her passion for energy-efficient living and
native plants became his interests, too.
He loved history, ancestry, science, and learning languages. He was a collector of unique
facts, family stories, and cultural histories. He delighted in freely sharing these interests with
others.
He was grounded in traditional family and faith values, continuously striving to give his all to
those around him. He set high moral standards for himself and led by example. Above all,
Rick saw others through his heart.
He is survived by his loving wife Cynthia, his daughter Helen, son in law Kazuo Ito, and
grandchildren Kaela and Keanu. Survivors also include his brother Wayne, sister Sandy, and
multiple nieces, nephews, and cousins. He also leaves behind many people who were
fortunate enough to be Rick's friends. All who knew Rick knew that he loved them deeply.
His visitation will be at St. Juliana Parish in Chicago, on Friday, August 9. The visitation will
be at 10 AM followed by the funeral at 11 AM. Interment will be at Windridge Memorial Park
and Cemetery in Cary, Illinois.
Donations can be given to The Seeing Eye (seeingeye.org) in Rick's name.

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