OBITUARY FROM REES FUNERAL HOME WEBSITE:
Frank Walter Westerlund, Jr., age 89, of Lake Station, passed away Saturday, May 9, 2026. He was born on February 28, 1937, at home in New Chicago to the late Frank Walter and Bertha Mae Westerlund. On September 30, 1961, he married Patricia Zajac at St. Francis Xavier Church.
Frank was a self-employed electrician for more than 35 years. His hands were never idle, whether at work or at home. He adored nature and loved working in the yard. Frank was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who worked tirelessly to support and care for his family. He enjoyed the simple things in life. McDonald’s coffee, pecan pie, cranberry sauce in the can, snotflowers and daylilies will always bring back memories for his loved ones. Frank developed a love for steam engines after traveling through the Rocky Mountains in a train. He followed the path of steam engines and was always excited to watch trains come through town.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Patricia Westerlund; son, Frank Westerlund III; daughter, Debbie (Stan, Sr.) Kapica; grandchildren, Stan (Rose) Kapica Jr., Mandi Somers, and Geoffrey (Tiffany) Westerlund; great-grandchildren, Ryan, Willow, and Wyatt; along with many loving family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Bertha Westerlund, and five sisters.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the dedicated staff at Life Care Center of Valparaiso and Dunes Hospice for the compassionate and loving care they provided to Frank.
Per Frank’s wishes, there will be no services. Cremation was entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Hobart Chapel. For more information, please call (219) 942-2109. Online condolences may be shared with the family at Rees Funeral Homes.
This information and the picture below were obtained from: https://www.reesfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/frank-westerlund-jr. The picture above was obtained from the 1955 HHS Memories yearbook, made available by the Lake County Public Library, at: https://archive.org/details/HOHS1955Images/.
