Louis W.

Ebrom

Louis W. “Lou” Ebrom, of Bloomingdale, Illinois, passed away on November 2, 2026, after a long and remarkable life defined by devotion to family, faith, country, and community, along with an enduring curiosity about the world and an unmistakable zest for life.

Born Louis William (Herman) Goldstein on June 9, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, to Morris and Margaret (nee Kutsch) Goldstein, Lou was raised in part by his foster parents, Eugene and Mary Ebrom, whom he admired and remained fond of throughout his life. Lou was always grateful for the Catholic Home Bureau of the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago who placed him into such a loving home, and as a testament to his love for the Ebroms, he changed his name to Louis William Ebrom in 1948. Lou attended St. Veronica’s School in Chicago and, after returning to Chicago from World War II, graduated from Lane Tech High School.

Lou’s life of service began at an extraordinarily young age. He joined the United States Navy in 1944, during World War II, and served around the world, including in North Africa, Italy, and several areas of combat in the Pacific. He later served during the Korean War and continued his military service in the Navy Reserve. Throughout his life, Lou remained deeply proud of his Navy service and especially of his association with the Navy Seabees.

That connection did not fade with time. For many years, Lou enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie of fellow veterans through local VFW and American Legion posts and the Fleet Reserve organization. He frequently made the trip to Great Lakes to reconnect with old Navy comrades, maintaining friendships and memories forged through experiences that had begun more than eight decades earlier.

After his military service, Lou began a civilian career with Western Union and later joined Amtrak. Trains became much more than a profession. An avid railroad enthusiast, Lou loved train travel and could always be counted on for a story drawn from his years on the railroad, his time in the Navy, or one of his many adventures.

In 1948, Lou married Mary Catherine (nee Kowsky). Together they raised five children and built a marriage and family life that remained at the center of Lou’s world until Mary’s death in 1992.

Lou is survived by three children, Mary Lou (Fred) Pochowicz, Lois (Tom) Janisch, and Brian (Meilea) Ebrom, as well as eight grandchildren, Jeffrey (Scott Slate) Pochowicz, Jennifer Pochowicz, Michael (Cyndi) Moloney, Mary Kay (Jake) Warkel, Patrick Zeigler, Natalie Zeigler, Bradley Ebrom, and Cory Knecht, and his cherished 15 great-grandchildren. He also leaves many nieces and nephews and an extended family whose lives were enriched by his presence.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, two children, Bernadette Zeigler and Bernard Ebrom, his parents, his foster parents, several siblings, including George, Marilyn, and Betty, and his daughter-in-law, Cecilia Ebrom.

Family was Lou’s greatest priority and greatest source of energy. He remained remarkably active throughout his life and loved sharing experiences with the people closest to him. He traveled extensively with family and friends, including the late Sherry Dudek, with whom he shared many happy years, adventures, and life experiences.

Some of Lou’s favorite journeys brought together the things he loved most: family, history, trains, friendship, and the Navy. In his 90s, he returned to Italy to retrace places and experiences from his World War II service. He visited the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, explored northern Michigan and Canada, and made countless train journeys to Florida, California, the Pacific Northwest, and destinations in between. For Lou, there was always another place to see, another train to ride, an old friend to visit, or a story worth telling.

A longtime parishioner of several Catholic parishes during his lifetime in Chicago and Bloomingdale, Illinois, Lou’s Catholic faith was an important and enduring part of his life. He valued his community, treasured his friendships, and possessed an extraordinary ability to remain connected to people across the many chapters of his life.

Those who knew Lou will remember a man who never seemed to run out of stories or enthusiasm. He could reach far back into memories of wartime, recall friends and fellow sailors from decades before, talk railroads and train journeys, and then look forward to wherever he might go next. Age did little to diminish his desire to participate fully in life.

Lou experienced nearly a century of extraordinary change, but the things that mattered most to him remained constant: family, faith, friendship, service, and adventure. He was a sailor and Seabee, railroad man and storyteller, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, veteran, traveler, and friend.

Above all, Lou will be remembered for the way he lived: engaged with the world, devoted to the people he loved, proud of the country he served, and possessed of an amazing zest for life until the very end.

Wake and Funeral

A wake will be held on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home in Carol Stream, 565 Randy Road, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church, 310 S. Wheaton Ave., Wheaton, Illinois 60187.

Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, Section 28, Block 1B, Lot 77, where Lou will be laid to rest with military honors in recognition of his service to our country.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be considered in Lou’s honor to the Navy Seabees Foundation, PO Box 657, Gulfport, MS 39502 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.