Tom Rezek, suburban Chicago history teacher who taught for 60 years, dies at age 86
Of the 60-plus graduating classes at St. Laurence High School, all of them have been touched by the influence of Tom Rezek.
Rezek, who died Saturday at age 86, started teaching history in 1963 at the school in southwest suburban Burbank and didn't stop until last year, with a short hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Born and raised in Hinsdale, Rezek taught far past the age when most people would close their classroom door and retire. He wrapped up his career in 2023 at age 85. But those who knew him said he hardly considered his job "work."
"I don't think he ever worked," his son Dan Rezek said. "I think he just loved what he did and it wasn't a job for him."
Rezek's daughter Natasha Galavotti agreed: "Why did he keep working? It was just a mission for him."
Rezek's class was full of intricacies and inside jokes. Every Friday was movie day — the class would watch a historical film thoughtfully chosen by Rezek. Students from all decades brought their copy of Rezek's prized history textbook, affectionately named "Degler" after the book's author, to class. His form of discipline was giving out "street sheets" and requiring students to map every street in the city of Chicago.
He taught in each of the school's seven decades, and he was just as much woven into the fabric of St. Laurence's history as it was woven into his life. Mike Madera, a 2010 St. Laurence graduate who had Rezek as a history teacher and now works in the school's administration, described Rezek's legacy at the school as something that will endure long after his passing.
"He's an absolute legend at St. Laurence," Madera said. "He's kind of a constant thread throughout our entire history."
Rezek coached the first-year football team in the 1960s and mentored younger teachers, becoming as much a part of the school's culture as its best athletic teams or specific traditions. When Carlin Glennon began teaching science at the school 20 years ago, Rezek was a guidepost for her as one of the only female staff members at the time.
"I didn’t really know if I fit into that environment and he gave me the confidence to keep going, to stay positive," Glennon said. "He believed in everybody. For him to see that in me, that really pushed me to keep going on and now I’ve been there 20 years."
His five children, four sons and a daughter, remember the value of work ethic passed down by their father and his dedication to teaching. Family was paramount, his children said.
"My mom, St. Laurence and just being a good Catholic, those were his greatest joys, and supporting me," Galavotti said.
Rezek's children described an undying love between their parents, and even former students like Madera picked up on it. When Rezek's wife, Mary Ann, died in 2009, Rezek looked forward to their reunion in the afterlife, something he held onto for 15 years until he passed, Dan Rezek said.
"She passed 15 years ago and his biggest thing was being able to reunite with her," he said. "I'm happy for him. He got what he wanted."
Affectionately called "Rez" or "The Rez," he was committed to his Catholic faith and attended Mass every day. But he was progressive in his faith, supporting the acceptance of female priests and the right of priests to be married. His children said he didn't push his beliefs on anyone, subscribing to the mantra "Your idea is your idea, my idea is my idea."
Following Rezek's passing, former students, colleagues and family members will inevitably remember him whenever they hear about any of his special interests, including the Civil War, "Blues Brothers," the Chicago World's Fair or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Near the end of his life, Rezek fought sepsis several times. He was in and out of the intensive care unit and had to stop teaching once the health issues became too severe, Galavotti said.
"He just kept coming alive," she said. "It's like he had more than nine lives. He was just the Iron Man."