Victim in Elburn fire identified
A memorial service for Robert J. “Bob” O’Donnell of Elburn, who was found dead after a house fire Sunday afternoon, will be held Friday night in St. Charles.
O’Donnell, 50, was found in bed in the upstairs master bedroom of the home at 1290 Wise St., according to Elburn Police Chief Steve Smith.
Police, the Kane County Coroner’s office and the Elburn and Countryside Fire Protection District are still investigating the cause of the fire, and what killed O’Donnell. Smith said the coroner has ordered toxicology tests, including one to determine the amount of carbon monoxide in O’Donnell, and that it typically takes several weeks for the results to be returned.
Smith said it did not appear, from what police could see, that O’Donnell was burned. The bedroom did not have as much fire damage as the lower portion of the house, he said.
According to county property records, Robert and Christine O’Donnell bought the lot in 2005 and had the home built. It is in the Blackberry Creek subdivision.
The O’Donnells formerly lived in Geneva, according to those records.
O’Donnell’s wife was not home at the time, as she was driving visitors to an airport, Smith said.
Besides his wife, who he married in 2002, O’Donnell is survived by his parents, three sisters, a brother, his in-laws and several nieces and nephews. He graduated from Lane Tech High School in Chicago and served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps. According to his obituary, he worked in the information technology industry. O’Donnell enjoyed fishing and traveling.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., St. Charles, followed by the memorial service.