Victoria Ann Panico Chrabasz
Victoria Ann (Panico) Chrabasz, was born March 7, 1945 and entered eternal rest January 19, 2026, aged 80, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Loving wife to Kenneth and mother to Mary Jo. She is survived by her brother Ambrose (Debbie) Panico, sister Dorothea (Thomas) Rogus, niece Nicole Marie (Michael) Rogus-Pulia, nephews Thomas Rogus, Ambrose (Brittany) Panico, Andrew Panico, and many godchildren and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents Ambrose and Mary Panico.
Victoria was born and raised on Chicago’s northwest side. A devoted Catholic, she attended Our Lady of Mercy grade school, Alvernia High School, and later graduated from Kelvyn Park High School. She married Kenneth on December 28, 1963, in a Christmas wedding, followed by a snowy trip to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.
Later, Victoria obtained her Associates degree at Mayfair College, her Bachelor’s at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), and began her teaching career. She taught at St Joseph's in Addison, among other schools. She finished her Master’s classes at NEIU just before the birth of her daughter, Mary Jo, in 1979, and completed the degree requirements a few years later. She chose to leave full time teaching after Mary Jo's birth to become a full time mother.
Victoria and her family moved to Norridge in 1980, where they have remained ever since. Victoria took up teaching religious education classes at Divine Savior Parish in Norridge, spending five years teaching 3rd grade and nearly 20 years teaching 8th grade Confirmation preparation. She was also involved in other activities at Divine Savior, including Parish Council and bringing the Eucharist to Central Baptist Home in Norridge.
Together, Victoria, Kenneth, and Mary Jo loved to travel - and they managed to visit 48 of the 50 states among their many trips. Victoria always found a church or three to visit on every trip! She was also an avid reader, and passed that love on to her daughter. Both joined summer reading programs at Eisenhower Public Library District every year, as well as attending all sorts of events there, including groundbreaking for the new library building which opened in 2008.
In more recent years, she supported her daughter’s fundraising efforts for Relay For Life of Northwest Suburbs and La Rabida Children’s Hospital, where Victoria herself had spent time as a child. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in her honor to either of these causes.
Relay For Life of Northwest Suburbs - Team Geek http://main.acsevents.org/goto/knitchick
La Rabida Children's Hospital (through the Windy City Ghostbusters) https://donorbox.org/windy-city-ghostbusters-donate-today