Tuesday, March 17, 2026
We called him "Mac". He was a good friend to me, my wife and our son. He was very generous. Always came to an event at our house with some kind of gift. Never showed up empty handed. Always complained about "too much food!" "But that's the Slovenian way". Always left with a duffle bag of food...and never complained.
He always talked fondly about where he grew up. The "old neighborhood" was at Bridge Street and Nicholson in Joliet.
He told us the story about how he became a Chicago firefighter. He was an excellent handball player in his early twenties. He won the Chicago CYO handball tournament. Handball was huge back then with the Chicago Fire Department. The Fire Comissioner was watching him play that day, and when he won, the comissioner said "bring that kid over to me". He said, "Son you're going to join the Chicago Fire Department." The rest was history.... 40 years of honorable service.
Mac and I played a lot of golf at Inwood Golf Course. He would get there before sun up so he could be the first one off. I would always come after sun up, and he would yell at me "we're burning daylight, lets go!"
We love you Mac. See you on the other side.
Bob, Debby and Brian Komp
