Surrounded by loved ones, Eugene Ralph Sessa went to his eternal rest with God in Heaven shortly after noon on Friday, April 14, 2023. Gene suffered complications from a fall he had at his home in Schererville, IN.

He is survived by his five children: Eugene F. Sessa of Fort Worth, TX, Pamela M. Ratajack (Jeff Ratajack) of Munster, IN, Stephen G. Sessa of Renton, WA (Kelly), Vincent A. Sessa of Wheaton, IL and Andrew J. Sessa of Henderson, NV. He is also survived by five grandchildren: E. Blake Ratajack, Ellen Ratajack, Joel Ratajack, Jacqueline Sessa and Matthew Sessa. He is also survived by his longtime companion Sandra Goldman of Henderson, NV, his brothers Richard A. Sessa of Albuquerque, NM and Edward J. Sessa of Shaker Heights, OH.

Gene was married to Diana J. Sessa for 51 years when Diana passed away in 2010. He will be interned next to her at St. Casmir Catholic Cemetery in Chicago. Gene and Diana raised their family in Chicago Heights, IL during the 1960s and the family moved to Homewood, IL in 1971. For many years they were very active members of St. Kieran Catholic Church in Chicago Heights. Gene served in the Illinois National Guard.

Gene was born in Chicago on January 5, 1936 and grew up on the city’s south side. His parents were Theresa (Broccolo) Sessa and James Vincent Sessa, both children of Italian immigrants. After graduating from Calumet High School, he started work as a journeyman for Illinois Bell Telephone Company. He worked his way up in the company, eventually becoming a foreman, and he stayed with the firm through its transition to AT&T and later becoming Lucent Technologies. After 40 years, he retired and began his own business in the wired communications industry.

A few years later he closed the business so he could devote all of his time and attention to caring for his wife Diana, who was very ill for a number of years. Prior to Diana’s death, they moved to Henderson, Nevada where Gene continued to live until November of 2022.

Gene was an avid gardener, baker, and cook. He often made his own homemade Italian sausage from scratch, and his banana nut bread was famous among his friends lucky enough to receive a loaf. His pride and joy, however, was making the Sessa family spaghetti sauce the old fashioned way, taught to him by his mom—slowed-cooked all day with pork neck bones as flavoring. He made the best Thanksgiving turkey! Gene also loved to fish, spending much time on lakes and rivers throughout the Midwest. He was also fond of hunting, especially pheasants.

Gene was a man of strong faith and the Catholic Church was very important to him. Even in his advanced age he would regularly attend mass and always said his morning prayers, usually around 6 a.m. as he was an early riser. Though it was quite costly, he worked hard to send all five of his children to Catholic grade school, Catholic high school, and Catholic colleges.

Gene was a no-nonsense, unpretentious guy. You always knew where he stood and what he believed. He was a “straight-shooter” who, in addition to a full-time job, almost always had some sort of side-hustle to help support his large family. Whether it was selling Native-American jewelry at parties in homes or selling Christmas trees on a vacant lot, his ability to make a sale was enviable. He even worked professionally selling real estate. In his younger days he would often buy an old house, do the renovations himself, and then either flip it or rent it out. Before doing that, he and his brothers ran a profitable wedding photography business out of their parents’ basement.

He liked bourbon (Jim Beam), scotch (J&B), beer (Budweiser), and red wine (any kind).         He enjoyed entertaining others and was often the life of the party, telling corny jokes and old stories. He loved watching old black and white Westerns and Wheel of Fortune. He had a certain knack for making guests in his home feel not only welcomed but also as if they were part of the family.

Gene had a big smile, made friends quickly, and he respected honest, hard work. He cared deeply for his family and was very protective of them. While he sometimes put on a hard exterior, he was really an old softie—there was no doubting he had a huge, generous heart.

He loved deeply. He showed it in action and he said the words often to those he cared for. He was a loving father, a devoted husband, and a faithful friend to so many over the years. He had remarkable energy, and he used it to help others feel safe and loved. Gene lived a full life, touching the lives of many others with his humor, kindness, and strength.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Gene Sessa at a visitation at Kish Funeral Home; 10000 Calumet Ave, Munster, IN on Wednesday, April 19th from 4:00-8PM. Funeral services will take place on Thursday, April 20th at St. Thomas More Church, 8501 Calumet Ave, Munster, IN at 10:30 am. Visitation will also be at St. Thomas More at 10am prior to the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.lbda.org) in his memory would be appreciated.

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Eugene "Gene" R. Sessa, please visit our Tribute Store.