In Loving Memory of Donald J. “Don” Falduto

Donald J. “Don” Falduto, beloved husband, Dad, Papa, great-grandpa, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 17, 2026, at the age of 83.

Family was always at the center of Don's life, and nothing mattered more to him than the people he loved. He had a presence you remembered, a personality entirely his own and a way of touching people's lives simply by being part of them.

Born in Chicago to the late Dominic and Carmel (nee Marra) Falduto, Don was the beloved husband of Kathleen “Kate” (nee Reedy) Falduto; loving father of Deborah (Robert) Quinn, Laura Falduto-Huspen, William (Kim) Schultz and Amy (Scott) Dempsey; cherished Papa of Bryan (Lexie) Quinn, Kevin (Pia) Quinn, Allison (Nat Tobey) Schultz, Abigail Schultz, Emma Dempsey, Keira Dempsey and Mia Dempsey; and proud great-grandfather of Chloe, Connor and Cullen Quinn. He was the dear brother of the late Anthony (Rose) Falduto and a treasured uncle, cousin and friend to many.

If you knew Don, you knew about his lifelong love for classic cars. He appreciated their history, character, the sound of the engine and, of course, the way they drove. A beautiful classic car could stop him in his tracks and always start a conversation. And if you happened to be riding with Don, you were probably going to hear one of his “Rules of the Road,” like “When you get on the expressway, get on it like you own it.”

Don also loved lake life. Summers at the cottage on Paw Paw Lake in Michigan, time on his boat, sunshine and being surrounded by family were among his happiest moments. Later, he and Kate would settle in Florida, where Don enjoyed even more sunshine, golf and the beach.

Don literally left a trail wherever he went and in the lives of the people he met. He could walk into a room knowing no one and leave having made a friend. He'd have a story, definitely an opinion and quite possibly some advice you hadn't asked for but oddly appreciated. He was easy to know, laugh with and love.

That same ability to connect with people contributed to Don's successful career in medical X-ray film sales. One of the highlights of his career was his work with the Field Museum, using high-tech X-ray film to help determine the identities of the famed man-eating lions of Tsavo. In true Don fashion, he never mentioned it. His family learned about it only after the Chicago Sun-Times featured his work.

Don was strong-willed, loyal, independent and unmistakably himself. He loved Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Johnny Rivers, and there may have been no song more fitting for Don than Sinatra's “My Way.”

Because Don certainly did things his way and in doing so, he gave us plenty of advice and lessons from a life well lived. Advice like, “You don’t know smooth until you know bumpy.”

Perhaps Don's defining characteristic was simple: he showed up. He showed up for celebrations and challenging days, big moments and ordinary ones. If you needed advice, encouragement or simply his presence, Don was there. Sometimes with exactly the words you needed to hear and sometimes with a little extra you hadn't asked for, that was how Don showed his love: he was present.

One of Don's favorite movies was “It's a Wonderful Life”. At its heart, it is about how much one life can touch the lives of so many others, and Don certainly did that.

Don had a wonderful life, and he left his family a trail that will lead them to have a wonderful life as well.

The family will receive friends at St. Jude Catholic Church, 241 W. Second Ave., New Lenox, Illinois, on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Inurnment will follow at Good Shepherd Cemetery in Orland Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Don's name to the Alzheimer's Foundation are greatly appreciated.