Kimiko (Hitsunoue) Sambol

Kimiko Sambol, age 97, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, March 2, 2026. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert in 2016. She is survived by their daughters Mary (William) Finlayson, Susan Sambol (Paul Wojtena), and Barbara Sambol-Curran (the late Daniel Curran), her grandchildren Kimiko Wojtena and Daniel James Curran, Jr. (Ashley Hartin), and great-grandchildren Oliver, Brielle, and Lucas Curran, niece Lori Sambol and nephew Edward Sambol, Jr.

Kimiko was born in Japan, obtained her Registered Nurse certification during the years following WWII, and married Robert while he was stationed as an US Air Force sergeant at Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido, Japan. They moved to the US with their newborn daughter Mary in 1956, and she became a naturalized US citizen.

She worked as an RN at South Shore Hospital in Chicago for several years before leaving to become a full-time wife and mother. She went on to serve her neighbors and community with compassion and an unwavering moral compass that accepted people of all faiths and races as her equals. In her later years, she raised her granddaughter and namesake Kimiko while her parents worked, instilling in her the same compassion and fire that were hallmarks of her personality, while delighting in the love of her grandson and his young family. Robert and Kimiko remained devoted partners in life until he passed away shortly after their 60th wedding anniversary.

Kimiko will be missed by those who loved her for the rest of their lives, as they acknowledge the gifts she bestowed upon them by being the role model we so desperately need.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Fagen-Miller Funeral Home, 8580 Wicker Ave in St. John, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held directly at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, 11128 S Ave G, Chicago, IL, on Friday, March 6, 2026, 11:00 AM. Burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, IL.

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