Restaurateur worked to preserve downtown Wheaton
Charles Krueger Sr. never considered his former Wheaton restaurant to be just business.
The longtime Wheaton resident, who died Monday at age 85, took matters at Round-the-Clock restaurant much more personally.
"His philosophy was that he always treated the restaurant like it was his home," said his son, Charles Krueger Jr. "He was always inviting people into his home and the customers always became his friends."
Round-the-Clock opened in 1968 and became a staple in downtown Wheaton for almost 30 years. Before that, starting in the 1950s, Krueger also operated eateries in Downers Grove and Hinsdale.
The restaurant business was a natural choice for Chicago-born Kreuger, said his son, as he landed his first job at a Chicago grill before he was even a teen.
He graduated from Foreman High School in Chicago, studied business at Loyola University Chicago, then worked as a salesman for Superior Coffee Co.
Krueger used his restaurant as a tool to enhance the sense of community in downtown Wheaton. His business sponsored local Little League teams and held autograph signings for the Chicago Blackhawks in the parking lot. And Krueger got involved in local events like the Fourth of July parade and Cream of Wheaton fest.
The younger Kruger said his father always treasured downtown Wheaton's charm and wanted to keep it intact.
"He was always concerned with the direction the downtown area was going," Krueger said. "As the malls started to open up in the late '70s, he was afraid it would be detrimental to the business communities.
"You would always see the owner of the barber shop or the camera shop and everyone would wave, and it was very important to him to keep that friendly feel. With the advent of Danada, he was concerned about preserving the downtown and keeping it viable," he said.
When he wasn't at the restaurant, Krueger was an avid skier who started out on ski patrol at Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin, then went on to become an instructor and join the ski school's board of directors.
He also enjoyed golf, tennis, cheering for the Chicago Cubs and was an avid pilot.
Kreuger said he understood his father's impact when talking recently with one of his former pilot friends.
"The man said he started flying because of my dad," Kreuger Jr. said. "It's funny. You don't always realize how people touch others' lives in different ways. It is hard to sum up a person's life, but my dad was a very giving individual and just really cared about people."
Krueger is survived by his son, Charles (Pam) Krueger Jr. of Warrenville; two daughters, Karen (Jim) Hogan of Oak Forest and Deanna (Bobby) Caras of Arlington Heights; five grandchildren, Alex, Chad, Michael, Matthew and Jimmy; two brothers, Scott (Diane) Krueger of Oakbrook and Rudy (Betty) Krueger of Naperville; his former wife and good friend, Rose-Mary Krueger; and his best friend, Chris (Betsy) Quinn and their daughter, Sarah.
Visitation for Charles E. Krueger Sr. is from 3 to 9 p.m. today and a funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton. Interment will be private.
Memorials may be directed to the Parkinson's disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018, pdf.org. Information and the guest book is available at hultgrenfh.com or call (630) 668-0027.