Jim Kowalczyk [PC: Eric Herzog]
“The care that Joanne received was just unbelievable,” he said. “Everyone was very attentive, very methodical, very caring and very prayerful. They were truly concerned and, in some cases, got quite emotional. They also were concerned about me and my well-being. They often asked `What do you need?’ and always said `God bless you’ and `We’re praying for you.’ I couldn’t have asked for any better care.’’
Nurses, physicians and other staff members lined a hospital hallway after Joanne died, praying and singing as Kowalczyk and the couple’s three adult sons accompanied her body from her room. “I said some words, thanking everyone,” he recalls with emotion. “It was special.”
The suburban Chicago hospital had long been the Kowalczyks’ preferred option for medical care. Hinsdale residents since 1978, the couple and their family, which also includes five grandchildren, “have been in and out of the hospital on many different occasions,” Kowalczyk said. “All our doctors are there, and it always has been a very comfortable, caring place for us to go. We never have had a bad experience there.”
As he mourned Joanne’s death and reflected on the care they and their family had received at Hinsdale through the years, Kowalczyk decided he wanted to express his gratitude and to pay forward the kindness and compassion of the hospital’s staff in a personal and meaningful way.
He inquired about how he might give back to the hospital and volunteer in any way. “They quickly said, `We need help in our gift shop,’” he said.
Kowalczyk began volunteering in the shop last November. He works there Mondays and Fridays, helping customers with their purchases.
“It has been a wonderful experience,” said Kowalczyk, 82, who retired in 2022 after he and Joanne sold the national sales and marketing company they had operated together since 1986. “I see a lot of people. It’s a great place. The nurses, doctors and hospital visitors are all terrific.”
Drawing upon his many years of experience as a husband, father and grandfather, he enjoys helping new and repeat fathers who come into the shop to buy teddy bears for their newborns. “Some of the guys come in and say, `Just put it in a bag,’” he said. “I’ll tell them, ‘Congratulations, but let’s make this special.’ I’ll then get blue or pink tissue paper and wrap up the bear for them.”
He also cherishes opportunities to comfort customers struggling with difficulties in their lives. “There was one woman who had beaten cancer four times and now has stage four cancer,” he said. “She told me her story, and I listened and tried to be compassionate and understanding. Hopefully, the words you say in those situations help the person. You’re actually practicing your ministry in the gift shop.”
During such interactions, Kowalczyk always remembers the care Joanne and he received at the hospital before she died. “A minister of care came in every day while we were there,” he said. “They sat. They talked. They wanted to know about Joanne. They were very understanding and compassionate folks. The chaplain also came in every day. He was another extraordinary person. He would recite a verse from the Bible, and we would pray.” The same chaplain later conducted the ceremony as Joanne’s body was wheeled from her room. “That made it even more special because I knew him and he knew me,” Kowalczyk said.
![Jim Kowalczyk [PC: Eric Herzog]](/build/image/14898.jpg?or=360&crop=%2C%2C%2C&w=480&h=480&s=074a36b9e8962807033a8e10241ce058)
As Kowalczyk moves forward without Joanne, he reflects fondly on the life they built together – their children, their grandchildren, their travels and their adventures in business together. “I am really blessed,” he said.
He enthusiastically recounts how they first met at a wedding where she was a guest and he played in a band. He still remembers in detail what she wore on one of their first dates. And he readily recalls her reply when her mother asked why she liked him. “She said, `You know, I think he’s got a lot of potential,’’’ he said with a laugh.
He also speaks lovingly of the impact Joanne had on his life and the lives of others. “Joanne was a very Christian woman,” he said. “She was a great partner in life. She was a very giving, loving person. She helped me along with my spiritual journey. She cared a lot about people.”
Kowalczyk continues to feel Joanne’s presence in his life. He believes that volunteering is something she would have gladly wanted him to do. “I’m a believer, I practice my faith and I feel that God and Joanne have led me to this path,” he said. “I hope that I can comfort others the same way the hospital’s staff comforted Joanne and me.”
Julie Busch is associate vice president for marketing and communications at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth.
