Robert Sperl

Robert “Bob” Sperl, beloved spouse of Carolyn and cherished dad of Laura (David) Koch, Cathy Filippelli, Janet (Paul Hezlett) Alonso, and Rob (Katie) Sperl. Grandfather to Lucas (Nicole Chargois) Alonso, Marlo (Zylon) Tokash, Ethan, Cara, Eva, Megan, Marc, Jenna, Maddie, and Ashton. Great-Grandpa to Josephine, Arlo, Jade, and one on the way. Dear brother of Richard (Kathleen) Sperl and sister Mary Sperl.

 Born and raised in Chicago, he spent most of his career as Vice President and CFO for Clear Pack Company, a few miles from his home in Bensenville. One of their best known products was the plastic McDonalds happy meal containers in the ‘80s in shapes such as cars or space ships. He was proud of being a part of growing the company over the years with his expertise in finance.

 Carolyn and Bob were married for 61 years. They enjoyed raising 4 children, seeing the grandchildren grow up and supporting each other in their careers. They prioritized time together to travel the world. Grandchildren were introduced to travel adventure by being taken in pairs to different parts of the world including Alaska, Australia and South America. 

 His recreational pursuits (many water related) inspired a sense of adventure in many people around him. This included a fleet of boats ranging from canoes and kayaks to sailboats. In the early years there were several family trips to spend a week on canoes in the boundary waters of Minnesota. In the winter, there were family cross-country ski weekends.

 He was a long time member of the Tritons dive club where he taught hundreds of people to become SCUBA certified. Camping in Wisconsin for family weekends was often combined with dive trips at places such as Pearl Lake and Devil’s Lake. He SCUBA dove on shipwrecks and old lead mines. He dove in the waters of the Caribbean, the Great Barrier Reef, and French Polynesia, even petting a sleeping shark at one point! 

Robert had 30 exciting years of adventures with his sailboat that was docked in DuSable Harbor. He and Carolyn also had many live-a-board trips as well. His passion for sailing included honing his skills during Columbia Yacht Club races and welcoming new sailors as crew. Twenty years ago, he did the MAC race three times, twice with family and friends as crew.

Robert loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren deeply and will be fondly remembered. He was a great influence for them to seek adventure and explore the world. 

Memorial Visitation, Saturday, February 8th , 3:00-7:00 pm at The Oaks Funeral Home, 1201 E Irving Park Road (at Prospect) Itasca. For funeral info 630-250-8588 or oaksfh.com