Matthew Gembala

Matthew R. Gembala, 78, passed away on May 20, 2021. He was a long-time resident of Chicago and most recently of Palatine, IL. He was the beloved husband of the late Karen Gembala (nee Tylka) who passed away on June 2, 2021. He married Karen on October 11, 1970, and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2020.

Matthew was born on December 23, 1942 and was predeceased by his parents, Matthew A. and Tessie Gembala (Volpentesta) and infant brother, Ronald. In addition to his daughter Crystalyn, he leaves behind a brother, Edwin James (Patricia) Gembala; brother in laws John Tylka Jr. and Ronald (Majella) Tylka; sister in laws Nadine (Ken) Hayes-Perkins and Christine (Ernest) Fox, as well as many cousins and friends.

He was an Army veteran, who proudly served his country from 1965-1967. Matthew retired from the Soo Line Railroad as a Switchman in the 1990s. He enjoyed gardening, cooking, taking trips with his wife and was well-known for his homemade Italian sausage and pizza.

Family and friends will gather Wednesday, June 30, 2021 for visitation and memorial mass at St. Mary of the Woods Church, 7033 N. Moselle Avenue, Chicago, IL 773-763-0206. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. with mass following at 10:00 a.m. Burial to follow at Maryhill Cemetery, 8600 N. Milwaukee, Niles, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org or by calling 855-448-3997.