Aranka Murgas Obituary

Aranka Susan Murgas, née Plvan, age 93, of Skokie, died Thursday, June 26, 2025, at The Citadel of Skokie. Devoted daughter of the late John and Zuzana, née Cupek, Plvan, she was born April 16, 1932, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Beloved wife of the late Karl M. Murgas; dear mother of Elizabeth (George) Gladic, Carl Murgas, Richard (Barbie) Murgas, and Evelyn (Richard) Schaefer; loving grandmother of Nicole (Brian) Yarbrough, Lukas Gladic, Carsten (Kiara) Murgas, and Kate and Lily Schaefer; cherished great-grandmother of Emmett and Clyde Yarbrough; fond sister of the late John (Rosemary) Plvan.

Memorial Gathering, Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 2 to 5 p.m., at HABEN Funeral Home & Crematory, 8057 Niles Center Rd., Skokie.

Private Interment, Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, Hillside.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Chicago Lighthouse, 1850 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60608 (chicagolighthouse.org).

Funeral info: 847.673.6111 or habenfuneral.com to leave a condolence message.

Thoughts of Mom

- by Carl Murgas

I'm not sad, I'm proud.

Let's be honest, memorials are a little biased. People will only talk about the good traits of an individual and gloss over any faults or imperfections.

So this should be easy. My mother was perfect. She didn't have any negative qualities. If there's a waiting line to get into heaven she's being escorted by the angels to the front of the line. Wait, no line, she's there already. They were waiting and hoping she'd show up.

She was a hippie before being a hippie was cool. We grew vegetables in a community garden she helped start. We recycled, in the 70's! We camped. We cooked outside. We enjoyed nature.

Mom helped mold us into productive, thoughtful members of society. To care for your neighbor, to help out when you can. I live this every day.

Of course mom will be missed but the intelligence, thoughtfulness and care for others mom inspired in her children shall be carried on in her honor.

I am so lucky to have had an opportunity to learn from her, how to treat people, how to always be positive and always move forward. Those are the important things you can only learn from a person like my mother.

That's why I'm not sad, but proud.