Arturo Victor Del Monaco, 98, born in 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, joined his beloved Georgien in heaven May 26, peacefully falling asleep to his favorite wind ensemble music, heavily featuring the euphonium. During his last days, he was surrounded by his loving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his surviving brother.
Art was the second of five sons whose father, a member of Chicago Moose Lodge No. 3, died when the oldest child was only seven years old. His mother, Mary, and the five boys moved to Mooseheart, a home and school where the boys thrived, and Mary worked as a seamstress and house mother. This is where Arturo discovered his love for music, playing euphonium and trombone, trumpet, flute, guitar and mandolin, and eventually becoming a member of the American Federation of Musicians in Chicago. Art played in various bands until the age of 80 and continued studying music for the rest of his life.
Music was Art's entrée into the Army, following his brother John, where both played for the Air Transport Command Band in Santa Fe, N.M. He was then recommended for B24 bomber school and became a flight engineer and turret gunner. Art flew countless supply missions along the east China coast, Burma and India, facing disease and death as part of routine duty. He rarely talked about those days, saying that he, "...had a great awakening to the nearness of life and death."
After two Battle Stars, Art was discharged in 1946 and fell in love with his beautiful next-door neighbor, Georgien Anastasia. They had corresponded all through the war and when he was discharged, they married that same year; married 68 years. Though he wanted to be an art teacher, studying at the Art Institute, he switched to engineering, taking classes at Roosevelt University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Navy Pier, where he had a class visited by Frank Lloyd Wright. He worked for Sargent & Lundy for 38 years. Art was a talented engineer as well as a wonderful artist, once working as a sign painter.
Art was a voracious reader and lifelong learner, always ready for a deep, profound conversation about philosophy, religion, art, and music, and was a great letter writer who had an encouraging word for budding musicians and artists in the family. He had a devout spirituality becoming a 3rd order Franciscan, and now rests peacefully in God's arms.
Interment will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery with full military honors.
Final Resting Place
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
20953 W. Hoff Road
Elwood, IL 60421
Art was the second of five sons whose father, a member of Chicago Moose Lodge No. 3, died when the oldest child was only seven years old. His mother, Mary, and the five boys moved to Mooseheart, a home and school where the boys thrived, and Mary worked as a seamstress and house mother. This is where Arturo discovered his love for music, playing euphonium and trombone, trumpet, flute, guitar and mandolin, and eventually becoming a member of the American Federation of Musicians in Chicago. Art played in various bands until the age of 80 and continued studying music for the rest of his life.
Music was Art's entrée into the Army, following his brother John, where both played for the Air Transport Command Band in Santa Fe, N.M. He was then recommended for B24 bomber school and became a flight engineer and turret gunner. Art flew countless supply missions along the east China coast, Burma and India, facing disease and death as part of routine duty. He rarely talked about those days, saying that he, "...had a great awakening to the nearness of life and death."
After two Battle Stars, Art was discharged in 1946 and fell in love with his beautiful next-door neighbor, Georgien Anastasia. They had corresponded all through the war and when he was discharged, they married that same year; married 68 years. Though he wanted to be an art teacher, studying at the Art Institute, he switched to engineering, taking classes at Roosevelt University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Navy Pier, where he had a class visited by Frank Lloyd Wright. He worked for Sargent & Lundy for 38 years. Art was a talented engineer as well as a wonderful artist, once working as a sign painter.
Art was a voracious reader and lifelong learner, always ready for a deep, profound conversation about philosophy, religion, art, and music, and was a great letter writer who had an encouraging word for budding musicians and artists in the family. He had a devout spirituality becoming a 3rd order Franciscan, and now rests peacefully in God's arms.
Interment will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery with full military honors.
Final Resting Place
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
20953 W. Hoff Road
Elwood, IL 60421
Arturo Victor Del Monaco, 98, born in 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, joined his beloved Georgien in heaven May 26, peacefully falling asleep to his favorite wind ensemble music, heavily featuring the euphonium. During his last days, he was surrounded by his loving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his surviving brother.
Art was the second of five sons whose father, a member of Chicago Moose Lodge No. 3, died when the oldest child was only seven years old. His mother, Mary, and the five boys moved to Mooseheart, a home and school where the boys thrived, and Mary worked as a seamstress and house mother. This is where Arturo discovered his love for music, playing euphonium and trombone, trumpet, flute, guitar and mandolin, and eventually becoming a member of the American Federation of Musicians in Chicago. Art played in various bands until the age of 80 and continued studying music for the rest of his life.
Music was Art's entrée into the Army, following his brother John, where both played for the Air Transport Command Band in Santa Fe, N.M. He was then recommended for B24 bomber school and became a flight engineer and turret gunner. Art flew countless supply missions along the east China coast, Burma and India, facing disease and death as part of routine duty. He rarely talked about those days, saying that he, "...had a great awakening to the nearness of life and death."
After two Battle Stars, Art was discharged in 1946 and fell in love with his beautiful next-door neighbor, Georgien Anastasia. They had corresponded all through the war and when he was discharged, they married that same year; married 68 years. Though he wanted to be an art teacher, studying at the Art Institute, he switched to engineering, taking classes at Roosevelt University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Navy Pier, where he had a class visited by Frank Lloyd Wright. He worked for Sargent & Lundy for 38 years. Art was a talented engineer as well as a wonderful artist, once working as a sign painter.
Art was a voracious reader and lifelong learner, always ready for a deep, profound conversation about philosophy, religion, art, and music, and was a great letter writer who had an encouraging word for budding musicians and artists in the family. He had a devout spirituality becoming a 3rd order Franciscan, and now rests peacefully in God's arms.
Interment will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery with full military honors.
Final Resting Place
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
20953 W. Hoff Road
Elwood, IL 60421
Art was the second of five sons whose father, a member of Chicago Moose Lodge No. 3, died when the oldest child was only seven years old. His mother, Mary, and the five boys moved to Mooseheart, a home and school where the boys thrived, and Mary worked as a seamstress and house mother. This is where Arturo discovered his love for music, playing euphonium and trombone, trumpet, flute, guitar and mandolin, and eventually becoming a member of the American Federation of Musicians in Chicago. Art played in various bands until the age of 80 and continued studying music for the rest of his life.
Music was Art's entrée into the Army, following his brother John, where both played for the Air Transport Command Band in Santa Fe, N.M. He was then recommended for B24 bomber school and became a flight engineer and turret gunner. Art flew countless supply missions along the east China coast, Burma and India, facing disease and death as part of routine duty. He rarely talked about those days, saying that he, "...had a great awakening to the nearness of life and death."
After two Battle Stars, Art was discharged in 1946 and fell in love with his beautiful next-door neighbor, Georgien Anastasia. They had corresponded all through the war and when he was discharged, they married that same year; married 68 years. Though he wanted to be an art teacher, studying at the Art Institute, he switched to engineering, taking classes at Roosevelt University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Navy Pier, where he had a class visited by Frank Lloyd Wright. He worked for Sargent & Lundy for 38 years. Art was a talented engineer as well as a wonderful artist, once working as a sign painter.
Art was a voracious reader and lifelong learner, always ready for a deep, profound conversation about philosophy, religion, art, and music, and was a great letter writer who had an encouraging word for budding musicians and artists in the family. He had a devout spirituality becoming a 3rd order Franciscan, and now rests peacefully in God's arms.
Interment will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery with full military honors.
Final Resting Place
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
20953 W. Hoff Road
Elwood, IL 60421
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