James Cainkar Obituary, Death – James Louis Cainkar, who resided in Burr Ridge, Illinois, fought pancreatic cancer for a relatively short time before passing away on December 19, 2022, at the age of 70. James “Jim” Cainkar was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois on the 31st of December, 1951. His parents were Louis F. and Ruth Cainkar. After graduating from Brother Rice High School in 1968, he attended Purdue University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1973. After that, he worked as a civil engineer. In addition, he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 1996. He earned the professional designations of Professional Engineer (PE) and Illinois Land Surveyor’s designation during his career (ILSIP).
James started working at Novotny Engineering in Willowbrook, Illinois in 1973, immediately following his graduation from college. He remained there until the year he passed away. During the course of his 50-year career as a Civil Engineer, he held positions as President of several companies and worked as the Village Engineer for the municipalities of Lemont, McCook, Hodgkins, Lyons, and Summit. James had a strong desire to satisfy his curiosity about the history, cuisine, and traditions of a variety of ethnic groups in his spare time.
He took his family on a trip around the world, during which they stopped in 43 different countries. Because James was a reserved and well-mannered individual, people referred to him as “Gentleman Jim.” Because he consistently read a lot of newspapers, people began to refer to him as “Mr. Current Events.” Additionally, he enjoyed going to the theater and the opera. On January 20, 1979, James wed Donna (Hall) Cainkar, and the couple now shares parental responsibilities for their children, Paul and Craig.
James’s mother Ruth (Hendershot) Cainkar, father Louis F. Cainkar, and brother Joseph Cainkar all passed away before him. James followed in their footsteps. He is survived by his wife Donna, his children Paul and Craig, his siblings Vincent Cainkar (and Cathy), Louise Cainkar (and Hassan Mushrah), and Michael Cainkar (and Toni), as well as a number of loved nieces and nephews who were cared for by Uncle Jim. He will be greatly missed. On the 30th of December, visitation will take place from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Adolf Funeral Home, which is located at 7000 S. Madison Street in Willowbrook, Illinois.
On the 31st of December, members of the family and close friends will get together for Mass at Saint Isaac Jogues Church in Hinsdale, Illinois at 10:00 am. The body of James Cainkar will be laid to rest in the city of Solvang, in the state of California.