Gregory Joseph Stenzel

Gregory Joseph Stenzel, 75, of Mount Prospect, passed away on September 19th, 2023. Greg was husband to Nancy and father to Lauren Stenzel (Jason Trullinger), and Chris Stenzel (Lauren [Cooper] Stenzel), and grandfather to Sawyer, Alice, Rowan and Violet. Greg was born on August 27, 1948 and raised in the Chicagoland area. He loved the friends he made at St. Rita of Cascia High School and during summers he loved spending time on his uncle’s farm in Algonquin with his cousins running a muck on tractors, in fields, and up in the trees. His time as an Andy Frain usher brought him unbelievable experiences from the Democratic Convention of 1968 to meeting famous people like the Rolling Stones, and friendships that would last a lifetime. Greg went to Chicago State and received a B.S. in math education. He went on to Western Illinois University to complete a Master’s degree in math and continued his love of the discipline as a graduate assistant. Some of his fondest memories were in the rooms of Morgan Hall and on the campus of WIU. If you knew him, you knew his passion for math ran deep and he could find any way to bring it into everyday life (who said you don’t need math after high school!). It was at Western where he met and wooed Nancy. They were married on March 23, 1974 and moved to Mundelein where they raised Lauren and Chris on open land, with an above-ground pool, a vegetable garden, and a deck that Greg built one summer by his design (math). Using his ability to teach, analyze, and problem solve, he excelled in the area of telecommunications. But, years later, he went back to the classroom to teach math at both Buffalo Grove High School and finished his career at John Hersey High School. He was always a teacher at home, in the car, on the phone, anywhere he was, until the day he left us. Greg was often called a renaissance man because of his great love for so many things. He was an award winning amateur photographer, an exceptional cook, a coach in football, volleyball, and math. He loved to fish and caught over 20 mahi mahi on his last trip with his grandchildren present. He watched and fed the birds, planted flowers by seed, grew tomatoes, and built things like chairs, candleholders, and resin-filled riverstone tables. He performed in The Nutcracker as Mother Ginger for many years to packed audiences. Theater, comedy, magic, he loved a good show. And, he loved to travel generously taking his children and grandchildren on trips that they will forever hold in their hearts. Greg and Nancy were married for 49 years, sharing their home with friends and family any time they could. He taught us to work hard, to do something that you love, and to never take things too seriously. He will be greatly missed, but his lessons will live far beyond his years. We will always do the math.

Gregory Joseph Stenzel

August 27, 1948 - September 19, 2023