Fundraiser to benefit kids of late suburban chef, coach
At Tim Isufi's wake this summer, his friends told his wife, Pam, countless stories about funny things he said and did. But one of the nicest things she heard came from a dad in their Arlington Heights neighborhood.
"He said, 'Tim was the kind of guy who, when you knew you had to go to an event and you really didn't want to go - but you knew he was going to be there - you wanted to go," Pam Isufi said.
Tim Isufi's sarcastic wit, funny personality, "tee-hee" laugh and passion for Chicago sports made him an endearing character, his friends said. He loved his job as a chef and food service manager, had a passion for Chicago sports, and volunteered as a soccer coach and Cub Scout leader.
But what Isufi cared about the most was his wife and twin 9-year-olds, Daniel and Olivia.
"When he wasn't working - even when he was working - he was always trying to figure out how he could spend more time with his kids," said Beth Pope, his supervisor at Ceres Food Group in Chicago. "They were everything to him."
With that in mind, Isufi's friends and family organized a memorial fundraiser to help pay for his children's education. On Sunday, Dec. 6, during the Chicago Bears game, 12 suburban restaurants will compete in a chili-cook off at the Alumni Club in Schaumburg. There'll also be an auction and a raffle, with all proceeds going to the Isufi Education Fund.
"This would have been his kind of event," Pam Isufi said.
Tim Isufi was diagnosed with Lupus as a child and underwent two kidney transplants as an adult. But he was healthy up until his death Aug. 15, at age 43.
The night before he died, Pam said the family enjoyed a perfect night together in at Sister Bay Bowl, an old-fashioned supper club and bowling alley in Door County.
"Tim played pool. Everyone laughed. We had just an awesome night. Tim was being Tim. Being silly and funny," Pam said.
The next morning, he collapsed in their hotel room in front of his wife and kids. They called 911 and performed CPR, but he didn't survive. Doctors said he suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm.
"He was instantly gone," Pam said.
The news devastated his friends and family, but they took some comfort knowing he lived each day to the fullest.
"He would always exhaust us because we always had to do things, but I get it now," Pam said.
Isufi grew up in Park Ridge and worked at his family's restaurant, The Village. After earning a culinary degree, he landed a sous chef job at Ditka's Restaurant. Being a big Bears fan, he loved being able to cook for some of the team members as well as "Da Coach." He eventually moved into food service management and met Pam, a dietitian, while working at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. They married in 1997.
Isufi's childhood friend, John Anderson, said Tim always cracked him up with stories of the Christmas light competition with his neighbor, or his cuss-filled rant about his struggle to assemble a dresser he bought at IKEA. But Anderson also described Isufi as a selfless, good man who was quick to help out, such as surprising all the Cub Scouts with breakfast before their big Pinewood Derby.
The Anderson and Isufi families vacationed together and celebrated New Year's Eve together with their kids.
"As guys, we'd have our annual golf outings. We'd go at 6 a.m. on a Saturday, and we'd have a lot of fun even though we were pretty crummy golfers," Anderson said. "After you talked to Tim, you always felt better. Very few people have that gift."
Pope said Isufi was simultaneously wisecracking and kind. He mentored young cooks and made even the most stressful days at work fun.
"He was nicer to the bus boys than he was to the chefs because he couldn't stand the egos," Pope said. "Everyone was his friend. He had a real knack for making people feel at ease with him."
In the 3½ months since his death, Pam Isufi said she and the children, who are fourth graders at St. Peter Lutheran School in Arlington Heights, are doing as well as can be expected.
"We talk about Tim every day, probably numerous times a day. But we always talk about him in the present," Pam said, starting to cry. "We haven't gotten to talking about him in the past yet."
The Isufi Fundraiser
Tim Isufi of Arlington Heights, a 43-year-old chef, Chicago sports fan, Boy Scout leader, coach, husband and father, died suddenly in August. His family and friends are organizing a fundraiser to help pay for his 9-year-old twins' education.
When: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 (during the Chicago Bears game)
Where: Alumni Club, 871 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg
What: 12 suburban restaurants will compete in a chili cook-off. There also will be a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.
Tickets: $25, which includes two drinks, chili and pizza. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling (312) 914-4000. Attendees must be 21 or over.
Info: www.isufifundraiser.com
To donate: Mail checks to the Isufi Education Fund, c/o People's Bank, 10 S Vail Ave., Arlington Hts, IL 60005-1841