Roy M. Hannula, age 86, a long time resident of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, died at his home Friday, April 1, 2011.

He is survived by his wife, Idele Hannula and daughters, Jeraldine and Pamela.

A visitation will be held Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 9:30 am to the time of the funeral service at 11:00 am. All services will take place at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 202 East Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, IL 60194 (847) 885-3350. Interment will follow at the St. Peter Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be directed to St. Peter Lutheran Church and School, 202 East Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, IL 60194 (847) 885-3350.

For more info call Christian Funeral Services at 877-771-4513

Roy Mathias (Matthew) Hannula was born at home in the farm house of Finnish immigrants Herman and Selma Hannula in Van Buskirk, Wisconsin on August 13, 1924. He was the sixth of seven children. He had three older sisters and two older brothers –Martha, Sylvia, Bernhardt, Aili and Luther, and a younger brother, John Jacob. Now that Roy has passed only the eldest, Martha (94), and the youngest, Jacob (82), remain. They went to school in a two-room school house that was across the street from their farm. Roy graduated from Lincoln High School in 1942 (now called Hurley HS). He wanted to join the Army as soon as he graduated but his father made him wait and help with the farm. He enlisted in the Army on April 19, 1944. He served in the Sixty Seventh Engineer Company and was assigned with this unit as Motor Sergeant and was responsible for the control, maintenance and repair of a large number of all types of Military vehicles and Engineer equipment. Sergeant Hannula served in Hawaii, the Philippine Islands, and the Occupation of Japan. With his Honorable Discharge in 1946 he received a letter of Commendation, a Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Service Medal and Philippine Liberation Ribbon. After he got home from the war, he worked in the woods with his father as logger and later had his own logging business. He joined the National Guard in 1949 and stayed in until 1953. In March of 1952, he went into the drug store in Hurley to buy a comb and met the love of his life, Idele (DiDi) Rahn. Three months later they were married on June 28, 1952. In May of 1953, their first daughter, Jeraldine LaVerne, was born, and then had a second daughter, Pamela Grace, in July of 1956. Roy left the logging business and came to Chicago for work. They moved to Skokie, IL and he got a construction job and joined the Midwest Operating Engineers Union Local 150 in 1955, as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic, he was a member until his death. He started by excavating the runways at O'Hare Field and later the subdivisions of Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg, which lead them to their first (and only) home, in Hoffman Estates, in Dec. 1956. He worked on many interesting projects: the First National Bank building and the Morton Thiokol Building in downtown Chicago, the Deep Tunnel Project, with son-in-law, Gerald, and at the South Works Steel Mills. They joined St. Peter Lutheran Church in 1965 and were active members. Roy and Idele loved taking road trips to visit family and friends all over the states. They also took trips to Europe and Caribbean cruises. He loved geography, fishing, boating and growing tomatoes. He was a Good Samaritan; he always took the time to help family, friends, neighbors and strangers. He retired in 1991 at the age of 67. They retired up north in Wisconsin – spending about 9 month in WI and 3 months in IL. The past three years they lived in IL full time because of health issues. He was the loving husband of DiDi (Idele), the devoted father to daughters Jeraldine (Gerald) Gros and Pamela (John) O'Shea, the beloved Grandpa to Lauren and Cameron Gros, and Katie and Anna O'Shea, and Great Papa to Adina Gros, also the beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews. He was blessed to be born at home and to pass away peacefully in his sleep in the comfort of his own home. He had what the Finnish call "SISU" – Determination – Spirit – Resolve – Courage – Persistence – Guts – Tenacity – Stubbornness – Steadfastness – Perseverance.