At Hickey Memorial, Residents Turn to 'Family' in Time of Loss

At a time when the flood of emotions are every bit as volatile as the white caps that crash along the Pacific coast, Mike Hickey, director of Hickey Funeral Chapel in New Lenox, offers a gentle net that helps families cope with the loss of a loved one.

He moves first to put the experience in perspective by guiding families through the funeral arrangement process. It helps, he said, when people begin to identify the funeral experience as a "celebration of that person's life." At the same time, the funeral home staff is intently aware of their responsibility to assist the family in the grieving process.

The basic five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—are well known. Still, the actual act of going through the process is hardly as simple as reading through a list, Hickey said.

Because the Hickeys live and work in the New Lenox community, people find it comforting to come there. They're not just coming to a business. They're coming to a family that they know. The kids have gone to school together and participated in community events. People are often coming to a personal friend for help.   

A family business started in 1928 in Oak Forest by Hickey's grandfather, the Hickey's have built legacy of helping people through a difficult time. The Hickeys are a family, and they help families dignify the life of an individual that left his or her mark on this earth.  

The New Lenox funeral chapel along Lincoln Highway has been in existence since 1979. It's the newest of three facilities, including one in Blue Island, which was opened in 1938, and another in Midlothian that opened in 1955.

The funeral chapels are run by three of the Hickey brothers, namely Mike, Terry and Ed along with Noreen (Hickey) Peloquin and her husband, Don Peloquin. Over the years, the Hickey's have adapted to accommodate changing needs.

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In decades past, funeral arrangements have shifted from two- and three-day wakes that were followed by a funeral, burial and a family meal in the aftermath to a variety of experiences that reflect today's society and the need to accommodate and respect lengthy distances and more.

"We deal with people," the living and the dead, he said.

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