Obituary of Emery Charles Gura
Emery C. Gura, 93, passed away February 4, 2026, in Kankakee, Illinois. He was born to the late Charles and Mary Gura and was a life-long resident of Joliet.
Emery was a graduate of SS Cyril & Methodius Grade School and Joliet Catholic High School, where he played basketball and baseball, as a left-handed pitcher. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he played semi-professional baseball and later coached Marycrest Little League boys’ baseball and youth basketball.
He worked for the EJ&E railroad with his father and brothers and honorably served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Emery later worked for the Illinois Youth Center in Joliet before retiring from Olin Chemical Corporation as a chemical operator.
Emery married Marlene McIntyre, sharing a life centered on faith and family. Time with his wife and children defined his life—every vacation, every activity, every moment.
An avid outdoorsman, Emery enjoyed hunting and fishing, but his greatest passion was sports. He was a devoted fan of Providence Catholic High School, Notre Dame, the Chicago White Sox, and the Green Bay Packers. In addition, Emery was musically talented, and especially enjoyed polka music.
As a devout Catholic, Emery was a longtime parishioner of the Church of St. Jude and later St. John the Baptist where he regularly volunteered in church and school activities, living out his beliefs through service and example.
Emery is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marlene (née McIntyre) Gura; his six children, Donna (Richard) Tadey, James (Eileen) Gura, Jeffrey Gura, Joseph Gura, Dawn Gura, and Jerome (Stacy) Gura; his fourteen grandchildren, Jaime (Joey) Kolojay, Jill Kucera, Matthew Gura, Mariah (fiancé Jason) Gura, Nathanael (Rachel) Gura, Benjamin Gura, Joshua (Megan) Gura, Andrew Gura, Max Gura, Zachary Gura, Joseph Gura Jr, Starla (David) Whitaker, Skylar Gura, and Justin Gura. Emery is also survived by his 10 great-grandchildren, Zachary Costello, Samantha Costello, Alexis Durkin, Jacob Gura, Emma Gura, Julian Gura, Madeline Gura, Ava Gura, Levi and Morgan Whitaker, soon to arrive, baby Siena Gura, and his sister-in-law, Donna Lindblad. Numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive.
He was preceded in death by his parents; grandsons, Augustine Pax Gura and Nicholas Alexander Gura, and his siblings, Joseph (Rita) Gura Sr., Charles (Gretchen) Gura Jr., Cyril (Dorothy) Gura Sr., Francis (Merry Agnes) Gura, John Gura Sr., Mary Jones, and Rosalee (Leroy) Nickell.
Visitation for Emery C. Gura will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, 3200 Black Rd., Joliet, IL, from 8:00 a.m. until the time of prayers at 9:15 a.m. We will proceed to Queen of Apostle Catholic Parish, 18 Woodlawn Ave, Joliet, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery with full military honors held under the auspices of the United States Army and the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery Memorial Squad.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to National Right to Life or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For more 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.
