Ilga Vitolins

January 1, 1753 - January 17, 2015

Ilga Vitolins of Chicago, IL, died on January 6, 2015, from complications of her decade-long progression of Parkinson's Disease. With loved ones at her side, she passed away peacefully on that morning in Oak Park, IL, where she had been residing in the senior residences at Belmont Village. She was 77 years old. Ilga was born in Riga, Latvia, and emigrated to the US with her family in 1949, via Bremerhaven, Germany. They eventually settled in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. She graduated from Spalding High School, received her BA from the University of Chicago in 1960 and began working in the Cataloging Department of the U of C Library in October of that year. She later earned her MA in Library Sciences from the Graduate Library School. Ilga's talent for languages included German and Russian, along with Latvian and, of course, English. Her entire professional career was spent working in the Cataloging Department and training generations of catalogers. Over time she held the titles of Arts & Sciences Cataloger, Original Cataloger, Senior Monographic Cataloger, and Head of Original Cataloging, a position in which she served from 1980 until 1994. She eventually retired from her library career in 2004. Ilga endeared herself to many, many people over the years with her demure yet delightful personality, her sometimes surprisingly quick wit, and by sharing her intoxicatingly delicious baked desserts, along with traditional Latvian dishes for church functions, holiday celebrations and innumerable family and community events. She was always a strong supporter of the Latvian community in Chicago. Ilga will be missed most for her quiet and firm friendships, and her loyal attention to the needs of her family and other loved ones. She loved to garden on her family property, and had a deep respect for nature, animals, and the Earth. She traveled quite extensively with friends over the years and demonstrated a sage world view when discussing politics and current events. Ilga preferred, however, at the end of the day, a hot and sweet cup of coffee, a slice of her famous Alexander cake, and a good joke most of all. Her adorable smile and easy company were just two of the traits that those of us who loved her will never, ever forget. Memorial visitation Sat., Jan. 17 from 10 am until memorial service 11 am at Matz Funeral Home, 3440 N. Central Ave., Chicago. In lieu of flowers, Donations to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation are kindly appreciated. www.pdf.org