V.JOHN CHALUPA HAD A VERY BAD STROKE AND IS NOW AT A ARLINGTON HEIGHTS HOSPITAL, JUST NORTH OF CHICAGO.

John Chalupa has been a friend of ours for nearly 20 years. It was back when I first went into the realestate business in 1981. A George (I can't remeber his last name at this moment} told me about a fellow from Palatine, Illinois, near Chicago who was looking for vacant land for investment.

John came to America at the end of World War 2 as a Czechoslovakia refugee. Having served time in a German prisoner of war camp for his part in the Czech resistance movement.

He continued his banking proffesion in the Chicago area and became interested in investing in rural property. The first piece of land I sold him was a place up on St Mary Ridge, then there was property in the Oakdale area, also east of Tomah and over by Warrens. Besides what I helped him buy he also made a few deals of his own.

Anyway through this process we not only became business dealers but also friends. Although his main residence was in Palatine, near Chicago, he also had a second home near Camp Douglas where he spent considerable time. He had bought it because his wife wanted something more out in the country, but he was to find out latter that this was, more out in the country than she wanted. But he liked it and so would come up and spend time there at this home in the Camp Douglas hills.

The property had a lot of wild grapes and blackberries on it and I asked him one time what he was going to do with all the wild grapes and he indicated that he had no use for them so we made a deal that he would help me pick them and then I would make up wild grape juice for him and me. We have been doing this over a good number of years.

We both enjoyed discussing politics, religion and whatever was available for discussion. He was a Conservative Catholic, and according to him I "was one of those "Liberals" that Coservatives like to pounce on. So we had some interesting and lively discussions.

We both were interested in computers and the internet and I helped him get one of his books on the internet. To take a look at it go to: THEORY OF POLITICS

John usually gave us a ring when he came up to his Camp Douglas home. So when I did not hear anything from him for over ten days I called his home in Palatine to learn that he had had a brain hemorrage/stroke and was in the hospital unable to walk or talk.

After talking with his wife, Marie and one of his Sons, we decide to go down and see him yesterday. It was not one of his better days and although we think that he recognized us it was only for a short period that he had his eyes open.

They have him full of tubes and wires and although he tried to talk and did get a few mumbled words out he could not converse. He had experinced some minor strokes earlier and about a week before this major stroke we had sat in the Dorset Valley School Restauant where we had had dinner after picking up his repaired computer over at Barbara Jacabsons, Duotech Computer Service, and he said that one thing that he feared was that one of these stokes would make typing impossible and he had another book he wanted to get done and on the Internet.

Let us hope that he will again be able to do so. I was encouraged in the fact that he had a lot of strength in his left hand and was able to raise his right hand up to his head. But he has a long ways to go before he will be back at the typewrier and the Internet.

For those who might like to send a card or get in touch with him his address at the hospital is:
Northwest Community Hospital
Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
Room # 451.
Hospital Phone 847-618-1000 ext-2451

This report was written by:
A Friend, Bill Weber

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