Frank Keres

Frank E. Keres, age 68, of Lake Bluff, died Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at his residence.

Devoted and loving husband of 43 years to Cathe Keres; dear brother of Sue and the late Karen; and a loyal friend to many.

His love and friendship with Cathe began in 1973. His backyard proudly posts the location of his proposal to Cathe in 1976 – on the corner of Keeler and Madison. The other loves of his life are his nieces and nephews and Flanagan, Nellie, Clancy and Reilly, his yellow labs. The neighbors often spotted both he and Cathe walking them throughout their neighborhood. The dogs loved to sit on their front porch next to Frank as he watched their young neighbor, Ben, pedaling his bike around the cul-de-sac, often pausing to converse with Frank.

He was an avid Notre Dame fan, where he maintained a Fall routine of getting to the Notre Dame parking lot early to allow time to visit the grotto and connect with fellow alums and his ND “brothers.”  He was proud to stand up at the end of the victorious game and sing the Alma Mater with the students and team as they came to their section of the stadium. The special day always included a delicious dinner at Rocco’s where more fans gathered. Not only were the Irish on his “fan favorites” list, but also the Chicago Cubs. He enjoyed keeping his neighbors abreast of the outcome, waving his “W” flag from his front porch.

In earlier years when he wasn’t cheering for Notre Dame or the Cubs, you would find him on his beloved Harley – often with Cathe on the back. He loved to take day trips, often to Wisconsin, stopping at Manny’s for Breakfast.

Another love was his garden, especially his ruby red tomatoes. He nurtured them each year so that they were the most juicy and tasty in all of Lake Bluff! At least he said they were!

When evening came you could find him tending the fire on his backyard patio, sharing stories about Notre Dame, the Cubs, current events, politics or whatever came to mind when you stopped to visit.

He was a “character” and a true friend to many, one who will be dearly missed.

Visitation, Friday, July 2, 2021, from 10 a.m. until time of Funeral Mass, 11 a.m., at St. Patrick Catholic Church (the old church), 991 Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest. Interment private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, 355 E. Erie St., Chicago, IL, 60611 (https://sralab.org/give-now) or Children’s Hospital Cardiac Transplant Research, 13123 E. 16th Ave., Box 045, Aurora, CO, 80045 (https://www.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/donate).

Funeral info:  847.673.6111.