Kenneth Peter Wojtas, 81, of Forest Park died on Oct. 26, 2022. Born on Nov. 29, 1940 to Dorothy Wojtas (Eckert) and Peter Wojtas, he was a lifelong resident of Forest Park and a lifelong member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church. Whether you knew him personally or happened to bump into him around town, you would likely have encountered his sense of humor. His jokes were often silly, sometimes sarcastic, but always friendly and good-natured. He also loved movies and music, especially Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll.
He learned printing as a trade at Proviso East High School and worked as a professional printer until retirement. He was an avid enthusiast of letter press printing, including providing custom printing services to the community from his home print shop using the name Ken’s Old Fashioned Printing.
He learned magic at a young age, initially performing for family and friends. Over the years his interest and abilities grew until he became a semi-professional magician. He performed stage magic and sleight of hand, entertaining young and old at parties, schools, church functions and retirement communities. He was a founding member of two organizations for magicians, the Knights of Sleights and the Sleights of the Roundtable.
Ken was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Wojtas (Spafford). He is survived by his children, Beth, Susan and Kevin, and his grandchildren, Diana, Parker, Grant, Jonas and Sam. More recently, he was preceded in death by his wife Sybil Wojtas (Stover).
He will always hold a place in our hearts and memories.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Zimmerman Harnett Funeral Home, 7319 Madison St., Forest Park. A showing, followed by a celebration service will be held beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 309 Circle Ave., Forest Park, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the following are most appreciated: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org) and Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (https://curealz.org).
