Dr. Frank H. Descourouez

It can be said that you measure yourself by those who measure themselves by you. Nothing could have been truer for Dr. Frank H. Descourouez, who passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday morning, March 11, 2023, with his beloved wife and family at his side.

Frank was born on January 25, 1933, to Frank F. and Leta Descourouez in Chicago, IL. He was raised in Chicago with his twin siblings Jane (Carl) Knoll and Jim (Anita) Descourouez. While growing up in Chicago, Frank learned his hard work ethic from spending summers with his family and grandparents at the family farm in Ohio and working with his father in the family-owned pharmacy. He also mowed grass in cemeteries, learned to drive by driving backwards around the block in Chicago traffic, and snuck into his fair share of Cubs games - always watching them fall short of winning it all until 2016. He was also blessed to see his beloved Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks and even the south side White Sox win championships in his lifetime. Even his alma mater Loyola University - Chicago made a run at a national championship.

He attended Loyola for medicine and completed his residency at Cook County hospital. He decided to leave the big city to the slow rural life of Freeport, IL in 1962, trading in "gun shots for pig bites." While in Freeport, he began working as a general surgeon and turned out to be a jack of all trades in the medical community. In 1970, he started a family medical practice when he, with four other physicians; Dr. Dei Jing Chang, Dr. Victor Rockey, Dr. Lester Mann, and Dr. Robert Rockey opened the Freeport Medical Arts Clinic that became the cornerstone of care in the area. One of the greatest parts of his medical career was the relationships he built with his patients. He would not be happy if we didn't acknowledge his nurse, Shirley Ludolph, who helped make his practice special. As this legendary group of doctors retired to pursue other adventures, the Freeport Medical Arts Clinic was acquired by Freeport Health Network. Since Frank's retirement in 1999, he has reminisced about how it was a privilege to have met and cared for generations of people in the Freeport community and being a part of many significant moments in his patient's lives.
In Frank's private time, his favorite hobby was fishing; whether in Canada, Wisconsin, the ocean, a quarry, Koenig's Pond, Morse's Pond, or Yellow Creek - he loved to fish! He also enjoyed skiing in Colorado, kayaking on Yellow Creek, snorkeling while tethered to a yellow buoy by the waist, gardening, taking care of animals (though he wasn't a big fan of animals, he never met a pet that didn't like him), landscaping, traveling, woodworking, and large bonfires. Many of you may not be aware that over his lifetime he and his family collected enough sticks to rebuild the great wall of China, twice.

He is also known in the Freeport community for many reasons - his fantastic fashion sense (black socks before they were the "in" thing to wear on the Krape Park tennis courts), his once-a-year golf game, his boat building expertise for the Yellow Creek Regatta, and as a "greeter" at Walmart (although never officially an employee, he knew and greeted everyone he ran into). You could often find him having dinner at one of his favorite restaurants, Cimino's or Cannova's, or just hanging out in Krape Park.
Frank also loved collecting things. He collected stamps, keys, and coins, which may have led to the 2020-coin shortage. His favorite collection, however, was grandchildren. Currently, he has 29 grandchildren and great grands and still counting. Frank was an active member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church where he attended regularly with his wife and family. Many times, he made his presence known when his hospital beeper would go off in the middle of Mass asking him to report to or call the hospital. Frank was also involved in Aquin and Freeport Senior and Junior High Schools where he was team doctor for many sporting events. In 1990, he received the "Outstanding Team Physician Award" for his long-time service to three Freeport schools and his advancement of sports medicine.

His greeting squad at the pearly gates will include his mother and father and his beloved daughter, Dana (Muff) Descourouez Martinez, who surely has everyone whipped into a frenzy for his arrival. The most enjoyable part of his life was family. He was married for over 50 years to the love of his life, Cammie Descourouez. Together they shared 6 children: Lance (Shawn) Descourouez, Blair (Melissa) Descourouez, Frank Descourouez, Jeanine (Joel) Penticoff and Joy (Thomas) St. Andrews. Along with his brother, Jim, and sister, Jane, he also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Many of his family members had the honor of celebrating Frank's 90th birthday with him this past January. What a milestone that was.
Frank's life, medical practice, and marriage were guided by his love of God and service to others. Even now I cannot understand the totality of a life: but I can tell you when he died, his eyes were closed, and his heart was open.

Grandpa's Grandchildren:
Anthony Thomas (Jessica) Penticoff, Matthew Thomas (Amanda) St. Andrews, Erin Michele (Jory) Zunich, Rose Lynn Descourouez, Michael James (Rachel) St. Andrews, Megan Elyse (Robert) Welborn, Mitchell Peter St. Andrews, Marc Allen St. Andrews, Andrew John Descourouez, Austen Maxwell (Nicole) Carnahan, Alivea Carey (Cody) Wagner, Mary Grace Descourouez, Russell Thomas (Suzannah) Descourouez, Sydney Marie Descourouez, Emma Jean Descourouez, Haley Analyn Descourouez, Samuel Berke Descourouez plus 12 great grandchildren and 2 more on the way!

Written with love, humor, and wonderful memories.

Funeral Mass will be held 10:30 am Monday April 3, 2023 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Fr. Robert Sherry will officiate. Burial will in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in Dr. Descourouez's memory.