Obituary of Craig T. Tokarski, Sr.
Craig T. Tokarski, Sr., age 60, of Joliet, passed away Friday, March 15, 2024, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, with his loving family by his side.
Born November 11, 1963, in Chicago, he was a son of the late Charles and Frances (nee Motz) Tokarski, and was a graduate of Bogan High School. He worked as a police officer starting at the Village of Justice and retiring with the Village of McCook after nearly 30 years, attaining the rank of Sergeant. In retirement he continued his work as a security officer with Off Duty Inc. and also, as a realtor.
Shortly after high school graduation, Craig began to train for his first bodybuilding meet. While doing so, he discovered his true passion; powerlifting. On June 28th, 1992, in Naperville, Illinois, he set the world record with a bench press of 703 lbs. At the time, this made him only the 5th person in the world to have benched an excess of 700 lbs. and the only one with a body weight under 300 lbs. He would ultimately go on to finish his career with a personal best bench press of 733 lbs. In a career that would span over 4 decades, he would go on to travel around the world competing, setting several more world records, and winning world championships. What was even more impressive than all of his accomplishments and accolades was the amount of lives that he was able to touch and the lifelong friendships that he forged along the way.
Craig is survived by his loving wife, Regina “Gina” Sparks of Joliet; his children, Craig (Rachel) Tokarski, Jr. of Belleville, IL, Morgan Tokarski of Ottawa, IL, and Cami Tokarski of Plainfield, IL; his grandchildren, Lenore and Livie Tokarski; two stepsons, Nicolas Weber, Ryan (Gaby) Weber and; grandson, Finn Weber; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and three brothers, Charles Tokarski, Jeffery Tokars, and Tracey Tokarski.
Funeral Services for Craig T. Tokarski, Sr. will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Fred. C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black Rd. (at Essington Rd.), Joliet, IL. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice, IL. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the funeral home from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
For information, please call 815-741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave an online condolence.
