IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Harold A.
Ahlbeck
January 3, 1925 – August 24, 2017
Obituary
Harold A. Ahlbeck was born to Swedish immigrant parents in Minneapolis, Minnesota and lived to the healthy age
of 92. He was the fourth of five children, two of whom died as babies in Sweden. The family eventually made their
way to Chicago and lived near Clark Street, which was the
"
Swedish Neighborhood.
"
The Great Depression made
his early years difficult, and he was often left on his own to ride the street cars all over the city. He even learned
how to operate one since he befriended the motormen and they would let him hold the throttle!
His family moved several times, and one of his worst experiences was coming home from school and finding the
family furniture out on the curb. They had been evicted from their apartment. It was hardships like these that built
the character of the depression babies, who came to be known as the
"
Greatest Generation."
Things worsened when his mother, who suffered from tuberculosis, had to go to a sanitarium. Life for Harold, age
10, and his younger sister Evelyn (known as Evie), would be forever changed when they were sent to an orphanage
in Joliet. Though he made the best of it, he considered it just short of
"
being in prison
"
and never really talked about
it again, as it was not his nature to complain or agonize over the past.
He attended Senn High School in Chicago, where his brother Torsten was an all-around athlete - young and popular
–
who lettered in baseball, wresting and football. If it was a sport, he was good at it. His favorite was boxing, and
Harold was proud describing how Torsten would
"
lead with the left,
"
yet empathizing with his brother's pain when
he was struck by a punch. Life changed yet again for Harold when, upon graduation, he enlisted in the Navy in 1943,
for the world was at war.
The Navy was the experience of his life and so much more exciting than the streetcar and Chicago, both of which he
loved. He was in Seattle aboard the USS Maryland when he received word that his beloved brother - his hero - was
killed in a tragic Air Force training accident. Torsten was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, and was even
extended an offer to try out for the Chicago Cubs, but these dreams abruptly ended. Only the memories remained,
including the American flag, then only 48 stars, that we would hang from the roof to honor the veterans.
We loved to hear his war stories about being a naval radio man and sailor - the islands they bombarded, the battles,
the professionalism of the officers, being on the bridge, the burials at sea, and the kamikaze attacks. Harold always
had luck on his side
…
the back of the battleship would be hit when he was in front, and vice versa. He shared details
of life in the military - being on shore patrol, supplying the ship, heading back to port for repairs, and maintaining a
routine of order and discipline. He even told us how to make a bed the
"
Navy way,
"
with the sheet tucked from
each side to make a perfect corner pleat.
His shipmates became his friends, and this bond lasted through many years of reunions and get-togethers. He loved
his time in the Navy, and if he could have remained there for a hundred years, it would not have been long enough.
The next fork in the road came when the GI Bill provided young servicemen with the opportunity to further their
education. Though people with his socioeconomic background rarely went to college, Harold now found himself
enrolled at the University of Illinois (first at the Navy Pier campus and later at Champaign-Urbana). He lived with a
great group of guys, and became especially close to the Balder family, who became life-long friends and later clients.
He mellowed with age and grew ever closer to his family. We all made " Pa, " as we all called him, part of our own
The Ahlbeck Family –
They were a model family, fun and friendly, and welcomed him with open arms as if he were one of their own.
Starting as an accountant at Standard Oil of Indiana, he later moved on to several different accounting firms, all of
this at a time when most people worked for the same company their entire lives. He knew he wanted to get ahead
The next chapter in his life unfolded when he was introduced to Daisy by her roommate, who was then a waitress
Now a married professional, Harold studied and passed the rigorous CPA exam. With Daisy ' s encouragement, he
Keeping family close was important and we would visit with relatives often. I especially remember Thanksgiving
Park Ridge proved to be a good fit, and Harold built his accounting firm in neighboring Des Plaines. Everyone liked
but just had to find the right
"
road
"
–
but as we all know, life does not come with a roadmap.
The next chapter in his life unfolded when he was introduced to Daisy by her roommate, who was then a waitress
at the Viking Sports Club, a Swedish neighborhood social club. An X-ray and lab technician born in Germany, Daisy
understoodhisSwedish culture,andknewhow to laugh and have fun. They got marriedin 1957 in Madison,
Wisconsin where Daisy
'
s parents and her brother lived. We always has a good time at our grandparents
'
house in
the country
–
on two acres of land with beautiful large oak trees and woods at the back – where our family enjoyed
many lively conversations over plenty of coffee.
Now a married professional, Harold studied and passed the rigorous CPA exam. With Daisy ' s encouragement, he
started his own accounting firm, working on his clients
'
books nightly at the kitchen table. Their expenses were
many, and they even had to finance the refrigerator. Then came a most unexpected expense
–
his name was Thomas.
As a result, they moved from their Chicago apartment to a house in Park Ridge, where they would reside for the rest
of their lives. Six years to the date of their first son
'
s arrival, they had a second son
–
Dirk. What are the odds of
having two sons with the same birthday? Their third son, Christian, was born several years later but died after a few
months from crib death. My father bravely moved on with resiliency and toughness.
Keeping family close was important and we would visit with relatives often. I especially remember Thanksgiving
dinners and the Independence Day picnics (with Swedish food, of course)! We would see his cousin Raymond, who
was his best friend and the best man in his wedding, whose Swedish parents hosted the picnics. His beloved younger
sister, Evie, was flamboyant, beautiful and a talented singer. Harold could also carry a tune and was known as the
one who could sing during his last years in the nursing home.
Living in the suburbsnow,like so manyAmerican families, was a new experience and we made new acquaintances
and developed friendshipsin additionto those we had in the city.
Park Ridge proved to be a good fit, and Harold built his accounting firm in neighboring Des Plaines. Everyone liked
him, and he became well-known and active in both communities. Work was important to him, not because of the
money, but because of his associates and his clients, many of whom were also his friends. His roles and
responsibilities were many, including those of the Maine Township School Treasurer and Park Ridge Park District
Treasurer. He worked to develop his business by purchasing another accounting firm and was instrumental in
ensuring that the property now known as Oakton Park did not become a factory.
Life was busy and full, from community involvement to the growth of the accounting practice and additional real
estate investments in local office buildings. My brother Dirk and I joined the firm in 1990, and continued to grow
the firm into a larger enterprise. Although these efforts were outside of my father
'
s comfort zone at this point in his
life, he still loved to hang around the office after he retired, maintaining the office buildings that were his
"
castles.
"
Upon retirement he still remained busy, but also made time to enjoy some wonderful trips to Europe with Daisy.
They alsobuilta house in Door County, which my motherloved becauseshe had my father alltoherself and could
monopolize all of his time there!
Life took another abrupt turn whenDaisy, his beloved wife of41 years and his pillarof support, got cancer and
unexpectedly died at age 73. This was an especially hard blow, given that all of her relatives lived long lives and she
took good care of herself, but Harold managed his grief and persevered.
He mellowed with age and grew ever closer to his family. We all made " Pa, " as we all called him, part of our own
families. We found that we were enjoying qualities in him that we previously had taken for granted, and are grateful
for the memories and time we have shared with him. He will be missed by all.
The Ahlbeck Family –
Tom, Beverly and Matt
Dirk, Tracy, Emma and Brendan
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Harold A. Ahlbeck, please visit our flower store.
Services
Celebration of Life Service
September
16
Park Ridge County Cub
Starts at 2:00 pm
Harold A. Ahlbeck's Guestbook
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