Evelyn L. Macaluso

Evelyn L. Macaluso, age 91, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 17, 2025. Evelyn was the loving mother of son Bill (Carol) Macaluso, daughters Kathy (Bob) Karcz and Peg Macaluso and cherished grandmother of Joe (Katie) Macaluso, Denise (Lauren) Benton, Kelly (Caleb) Colar, Emily (Joey) Terrano, Anthony Karcz, Nathan Gonyo and Elena Gonyo. Evelyn was also the proud great-grandmother of nine. The daughter of Roy and Roxie Bills, Evelyn is survived by her beloved brother Roy (the late Lucille) Bills of Pella, Iowa and many nieces and nephews. Evelyn was proud of her Iowa roots and considered herself the original “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, her father having supported the family by working in the coal mines in their small rural town of Mystic. As a high school student, she sang in the glee club, progressed to sing on WHO radio in Des Moines, and even recorded a studio record. An avid reader and spelling bee champion, Evelyn’s willingness to volunteer in the school library allowed it to remain open even after funding for the school librarian was lost. The strong secretarial skills she learned at Mystic High School included perfect Palmer Method handwriting, admirable typing speed and impressive short hand skills, all of which served her well when she proudly worked for many years in the Engineering Department at the Village of Arlington Heights. Evelyn’s life journey relocated her to the Chicago area but her favorite refrain continued to be “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl!” Her love and devotion to Iowa never wavered. Evelyn’s hobbies included quilting, playing the organ, gardening, and baking. A lover of all things chocolate, she had a special gift for cake decorating and her family was the lucky recipient of her custom creations for birthdays, baptisms and other special occasions. Her family also fondly remembers the joy she shared in gathering loved ones around her table weekly for delicious spaghetti dinners on Sundays. The visitation for Evelyn will be from 5:00 until 8:00 pm on Friday, November 21, 2025 at Matz Mt. Prospect Funeral Chapel, 410 E. Rand Rd., Mt. Prospect, IL. Her funeral mass will be 10:00 AM on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at St. James Catholic Church, 831 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL. The interment will immediately follow mass at All Saints Catholic Cemetery, 700 N. River Rd., Des Plaines. For further information please call Matz (847) 394-2336.

Evelyn L. Macaluso

May 31, 1934 - November 17, 2025