Obituary of Donald R. Cyborski
Age 83, of Joliet, Don Cyborski passed into God’s grace on January 11, 2026.
He passed peacefully surrounded by family, hours after watching the Bears snatch a 2025 playoff spot from their Packer rivals.
Don was born on December 31, 1942, in Chicago. Growing up on the South Side, he was a steadfast brother to his younger sister Myra, and a supportive son cheering the Cubs with his father as the family built their home from scratch.
Professionally, he spent 60 years working in technology for Argonne National Laboratory's Physics division. After 50 years, Argonne celebrated his "retirement," though he stayed a decade more.
Named "King Bowler of Joliet" in the early ‘70s, Don maintained an average over 200 for decades. As a semi-pro photographer, he did wedding and promotional photography. A lifelong Chicago sports fan, he lived to see the Bears, Cubs, and Hawks play. Above all this, his greatest joy from youth to old age was fishing for bass in Minnesota and Canada.
A beloved member of the congregation at Messiah Lutheran Church in Joliet, Don served as an usher, facilitator, board member, and integral part of the "Save Messiah" campaign.
Donald was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Jo M. Cyborski (née Roob); his parents, Robert Cyborski and Gloria Henderson (née Dahl); and his cherished aunt, Letty Dahl.
He is survived by his daughter, Shannon Cyborski; his sister, Myra Polak (née Cyborski); his sister-in-law, Cindy McFadden (née Burgo); many nieces and nephews; a loving godson; and dear friends of over 50 years who will miss his kindness and quiet presence.
Join us at a casual gathering of remembrance:
Celebrating the life of Don Cyborski
Messiah Lutheran Church Fellowshipo Hall
40 Houbolt Road, Joliet, IL 60431
Saturday, March 14th, 2026, 1pm to 4pm
Eulogy, remembrance, and visitor stories begin at 2pm.
Refreshments provided. Bring stories to share. Casual attire welcome.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
Messiah Lutheran Church, 40 Houbolt Road, Joliet, IL 60431,
or online at mlcjoliet.org/give.
Due to his request, cremation rites have been accorded.
For more information, please call Fred C. Dames Funeral Home at 815-741-5500 or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com, where you can share a favorite memory or leave an online condolence.
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Donald R. Cyborski
Age 83, of Joliet, Don Cyborski reached end of life (EOL) on January 11, 2026.
He left on a high note. A die-hard Bears fan, Don watched as they made a miraculous late-game comeback, snatching a 2025 season playoff spot from their Packer rivals. In the hours that followed, an influx of older Bears fans entered the ER complaining of various stress-related ailments. For Don, it was shortness of breath and chest pain. He had been struggling for months to recover from difficult surgery and later stroke that left him in need of full-time care.
Hours later, his heart gave out and he passed peacefully from a body that no longer served him with family at his side. Taking “die-hard Bears fan” to an extreme, we’re grateful he didn’t see them lose the next game.
Don was born on December 31, 1942, in Chicago while his father was at war. Growing up a Cubs fan on the South Side, he enjoyed after-school tamales with the girl next door. A protector to his younger sister Myra, he was always there for her when she needed him. In his teens, he and his family helped his father build their forever home from scratch.
Spending summers at his Aunt Letty's lodge on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota, Don climbed trees, swam, and fished. Letty taught him to drive stick by putting him behind the wheel on a hill and saying, “Get up the hill!” The lake taught him to listen and to be a good man.
In 1966, friends set him up on a blind date with Jo Roob. During the historic Chicago blizzard of 1967, Don fought through the snow for three hours to reach Jo where she was stranded at work and proposed. They married on August 26, 1967, sharing 50 years together until her passing in 2018.
Professionally, Don had a gift for mathematics and a greater gift for recognizing an opportunity. When Argonne National Laboratory sought mathematicians before "computer technician" was a job title, Don grabbed the job, left college, and said, "This is it. This is all I'm going to need."
He was right. He spent 60 years working in Argonne’s Physics division, riding the wave of technology from punch cards to Windows 11. He was a PC builder, hardware installer, software installer, inventory manager, troubleshooter, and general fixer of phones, faxes, copiers, and any device needing attention.
After 50 years, Argonne celebrated him as if he were retiring. Joke’s on them. Semi-retired, Don stayed a decade more to locate lost equipment in the lab’s deepest, darkest corners. “I put that in this closet twenty-three years ago!”
Don took his hobbies to expert levels. As a semi-pro photographer, he spent hours in personal dark rooms developing and printing his own work. He created beautiful wedding albums, an extravagant slide show of the National Parks with audio narration and took promotional photos for a tiger-taming circus act.
As a semi-pro bowler, he was “King Bowler of Joliet” in the early 70’s, complete with a local newspaper photo and a ginormous bowling trophy. He earned a handful of 300 and 299 rings and learned to bowl left-handed to manage back pain. After decades at the alley, he left the sport when his average dipped below 200, keeping a promise to himself.
A passionate fan of Chicago sports, he loved all things Bears, Cubs, and Hawks. He recorded and watched the games, read all the newspaper articles, consumed all the sports talk shows, and told them all what to do from the comfort of his oversized recliner.
Don’s greatest joy was fishing. He fished for years in Canada and Minnesota, returning home with coolers of walleye and northern pike for sharing at neighborhood fish fries. The owners of his favorite restaurant, China Chef, knew him well enough to ask for fresh fish for their own tables. His friends held an annual fishing tournament earning him an equally ginormous fishing trophy to his bowling trophy (it helps to know a guy in the trophy business).
As he aged, he limited fishing to catch-and-release in his beloved Minnesota and at his local fishing club. Heading to Bass Pro every spring for new rods, reels, and upgrades for his bass boat was a highlight of his life. He and his fishing buddies spent hours in the boat casting, catching, and counting their catch.
Don found comfort in Christ at Messiah Lutheran Church in Joliet, IL. He gave countless volunteer hours to his faith community as an usher, setting up services, serving on the board, as an integral part of the “Save Messiah” campaign, and as a beloved member of the congregation. His faith brought him peace in passing.
His favorite phrases were few but reliable:
"Go Bears!" and “Go Cubs!” and “Go Hawks!”
"Hehehe" (usually while reeling in a fish).
“I’ve got a guy for that!”
“They shouldn’t have made that trade.”
A satisfied fist pump after a strike in bowling.
Donald was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Jo M. Cyborski (née Roob); his parents, Robert Cyborski and Gloria Henderson (née Dahl); and his cherished aunt, Letty Dahl, whom he cared for like a mother.
He is survived by his daughter, Shannon Cyborski; his sister, Myra Polak (née Cyborski); his sister-in-law, Cindy McFadden (née Burgo); many nieces and nephews; a loving godson; and dear friends of over 50 years who will miss his kindness, quiet presence, and sofa coaching of the Bears and the Cubs.
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