Rita Anne Polek
 September 11, 1954 - August 30, 2020 Rita Anne Polek (Yurko), 65, peacefully passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2020, at her home in Batavia, Illinois. Rita was born on September 11, 1954 to George and Frances Yurko in Chicago, Illinois. The second of eight children, Rita worked diligently at Cupid’s Candies to afford a Catholic High School education. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rockford College (now University), where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the United States. True to the Phi Beta Kappa motto, “Love of learning is the guide of life”, Rita spent a great deal of her adult life furthering her education, seeking knowledge, and deepening her love of learning. In June 1986, while working as a Respiratory Therapist at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Rita met the love of her life, Wayne Polek, when they both responded to a cardiac arrest. The two were married March 28, 1987 in Chicago, Illinois. She went on to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and later, Masters in Education (M.Ed). Rita taught Creative Writing for her younger two children while they were in middle school at St. Patrick School in St. Charles, Illinois. More recently, Rita worked as a School Psychologist in Cicero District 99 for several years and Indian Prairie District 204 for several months before being diagnosed with uterine cancer. Rita was an active part of her children’s lives, shuttling them to sports games, Boy and Girl Scout events, and gatherings with friends. She was her daughter’s Girl Scout troop leader from grade school into high school and received the St. Anne medal presented by the organization. She enjoyed spending time with her husband in Galena and travelling internationally. Rita fiercely loved her family, especially her grandchildren, was unassumingly wise, immensely courageous, gracefully spoken, undeniably kind, and had a remarkable talent for hosting family and friends and redecorating her homes. She enjoyed chocolate (M&Ms) and was known to graciously accept a Grey Goose martini, especially when handmade by her husband. Rita had a strong relationship with her Catholic roots and was a devoted and faithful servant of the Lord. Rita is preceded in death by her parents, George and Frances Yurko, brothers, John and James Yurko, and nephew Ryan Emich. Rita is survived by her husband, children Scott Elliott, Elizabeth (Cory) Nash, and James Polek; grandchildren, Meghan, Jessica, Emily and Sean Elliott and Colton Nash; siblings Teresa Morowczynski, Richard (Joyce) Yurko, Barbara Emich, Mary (Alan) Dempsey, and Christine (Alan) Brown; and numerous nieces, nephews, friends, and colleagues. She will forever be missed. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6N491 Crane Road St. Charles, IL 60175. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 37W210 Fabyan Parkway Geneva, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Misericordia Heart of Mercy, a home for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Please include Family Reference Number 2522 when making a donation. |
