In Memoriam - Lottie Pavlinec

Lottie B. Pavlinec, nee Grzybek, age 80, formerly of Berwyn, passed away Monday, September 19, 2005 at Alexian Brothers Hospital. Lottie was the beloved wife of the late John Pavlinec; she was the loving mother of Roberta "Bobbie" Balicki and John "Jack" Pavlinec; wonderful mother-in-law to Jerry Balicki and Gloria Krawczykowski; devoted grandmother to Bradley Balicki and Michael, Jessica, Brian and Rachel Pavlinec; Lottie was the youngest sister of the late Stella Sobieski, the late Julius Grzybek, the late Ted Grzybek and the late Staszka Burchardt; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews; a loyal and giving friend to many. Lottie retired from DePaul University after a stroke with 25 plus years of service. Resting at Kopicki's Heritage Funeral Home, 3117 South Oak Park Ave., Berwyn. Visitation 3 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, 2005. Funeral Friday, 9:30 a.m. at St. Odilo Church for 10:30 a.m. Mass. Private burial of the cremated remains of the body will take place at a later date. 708-788-7775.

Chicago Tribune, Sept 21, 2005, pg. 12

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Retired financial aid staff member dies at 80

Lottie B. Pavlinec, a member of the university community for more than 25 years, died Sept. 19 after a long illness.  She was 80 years old.

The longtime resident of Berwyn, Ill., worked for DePaul's financial aid office for many years as a file manager--a pivotal position in a time when all files were paper and she personally shuttled information between campuses via the "el".  A recipient of the Spirit of DePaul Award in 2001, she retired two years ago after suffering a stroke.

"Lottie was wonderfully old school, the elder stateswoman of the department and the glue that held it all together," says Maureen Talbot, associate director of operations in financial aid.  "She was all the things you want in a colleague: she came in every day, worked very hard, was upbeat and loyal, and served as an example for everyone.

"She did a lot of small, thoughtful things for people, like remembering birthdays and bringing in treats," say her colleague of 20-plus years.  "She wasn't just an employee, she was a member of the family."

Sherry Cwirko, a financial aid loan coordinator, recalls Pavlinec as a very caring, well-like and efficient employee who loved her job.  "Any time we needed to find a student record, we would go to her because she would know exactly where to find it," she says.

Pavlinec also enjoyed hearing about her younger colleagues' activities.  "She would listen to our stories and just shake her head,"  Cwirko laughs.  "She was like a grandmother to us and thought we were all a little crazy."

Survivors include her daughter, Roberta, and son, John; three grandsons and two granddaughters; and many nieces and nephews.  A funeral Mass was said Sept. 23 in Berwyn.

Newsline, Vol. 40, No. 5, October 15, 2005, page 2.