Local World War II veteran to celebrate his 100th birthday April 6
Local resident and World War II Navy veteran Myron Petrakis is ready to embark on his second century of life.
Petrakis was born on April 6, 1922, to Greek immigrant parents and grew up in Chicago as the eldest of four siblings. Growing up during the Great Depression was not easy, although Petrakis has fond memories too, including hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelt speak at the 1932 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Like many of his contemporaries, World War II changed the course of Petrakis's life.
Petrakis was drafted into the U.S. Navy in July 1944 and served aboard the U.S.S. Murrelet AM372, a minesweeper that sailed the Pacific Ocean. Petrakis was honorably discharged in 1946.
Petrakis has not forgotten his friends and fellow service members who did not survive the war, and their memory has fueled his decades-long commitment to honoring American veterans.
After the war, Petrakis benefitted from the G.I. Bill and earned an engineering degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
He took an interest in the then-nascent plastics industry, eventually becoming a pioneer of injection-molding technologies.
In addition to a fulfilling career, Petrakis has tirelessly served his community in many capacities. He helped establish Ridgewood High School District No. 234 in the late 1950s.
He served with the Norridge Board of Fire & Police Commissioners for almost 40 years, making him then the longest-serving appointed official in the state of Illinois. He was Norridge's first village historian, establishing both the Norridge Village Museum and the Norridge Veterans Museum.
More recently, Petrakis spearheaded a memorial for three Ridgewood High School students who were killed in action during the Vietnam War.
On the cusp of turning 100, Petrakis has slowed down ever so slightly to reflect on what has been - by all accounts - a remarkable life thus far.
A lifelong student of history with an engineer's mind and curiosity, Petrakis is a fluent user of modern technology and even has a social media presence.
He still dedicates hours each week to learning about and honoring the country's military veterans, contributing to Memorial Day and Veterans Day programming at Belmont Village in Carol Stream, where he now resides.
The achievement of which he's most proud, though, is his family.
Petrakis lost Catherine, his beloved wife of 69 years, last August.
He keenly feels her absence and steadying presence but nevertheless has stayed busy keeping tabs on his three adult children, seven grandchildren, and nine (soon to be 10) great-grandchildren.
And he always has a story at the ready.
Of course, one cannot easily live 100 years without a sense of humor.
When asked about his impending birthday, Petrakis smiled mischievously and said, "I hope my second century is better than my first."