Dr. Edward John Gumz

Edward John Gumz, 82, of Chicago, Illinois, passed away on April 16, 2024.  Son of Edgar Rudolph John Gumz and Helen Gumz (née Lunow) of Milwaukee, beloved husband of Marie Ann Gumz (née Puetz), married in 1969, devoted father of Jonathan (Andrea) of Niedernsill, Austria, Andrew (Leah) of Greendale, Wisconsin, and Elizabeth Knight (Tom) of Naperville, Illinois, loving grandfather of Eddie, Ella, Lewis, Marcus, Nolan, Amelia, Helen, and Ethan.

Ed was born on February 25, 1942 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  After graduating from Milwaukee Concordia High School in 1959, he attended Concordia College – Fort Wayne from 1960 to 1962 where he trained for the ministry and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he earned his B.A. in Social Work in 1964.  In 1970, he earned a M.A. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

From 1964 to 1986, Ed worked as a social worker with various social service organizations in Milwaukee, in particular many years with Children’s Service Society.  While working and supporting his family, Ed also earned his Ph.D. in Urban Social Institutions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1986.  Shortly thereafter he joined the faculty of the Department of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he taught from 1986 to 1993.  He was the author of Professionals and their Work in the Family Divorce Court.  In 1993, Ed joined the faculty of the School of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, where he served as chair of the Undergraduate Social Work Program for many years, retiring in 2015.  In Chicago, Ed was on the Board of Directors of the Counseling Center of Lakeview for many years.  He also traveled around the country on many site visits to certify undergraduate social work programs.  Ed combined his practical experience as a social worker from his early years with a deep interest in academic and intellectual approaches to social work to educate generations of social workers in Wisconsin and Chicago.

Married for over 54 years, Ed and Marie had known one another since early childhood because their families had been close friends.  Ed was a devoted husband always ready to sacrifice for his family.  With Ed at Loyola, Ed and Marie split their time between Greendale, Wisconsin and Chicago, but eventually settled full-time in Chicago, where Ed truly enjoyed his time in the heart of that great city, walking from his office at Loyola’s campus near the Water Tower to where they lived in Printer’s Row.  A member of First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Chicago, Ed also found his Christian spirituality nurtured by the Jesuit environment of Loyola University.  Ed found “God in all things” as the Jesuits would say, whether amongst his family, in conversations with students and friends, or in walks in nature in Chicago, Wisconsin, and around the US and Europe.  We remember Ed as someone who truly listened to others with empathy and possessed a unique gift for showing deep interest in the stories of those who crossed his path, whoever they were.  Whether on baseball trips with his sons, talking to his daughter about her ballet performances, or playing with his eight grandchildren, Ed was a gentle soul who made everyone who met him feel special.  Though his final years were very difficult health wise, he remained capable of showing a spark of interest in those who talked with him.  He will be truly missed by all who knew him, but we will all be grateful for Ed’s presence in our lives.

We thank Ed’s dedicated caretakers and home nurses from his final years along with the wonderful staff and doctors at Northwestern University Hospital for all their efforts on his behalf.

Visitation on Friday, April 26 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM  at Heritage Funeral Home, 4800 S. 84th Street, Greenfield, WI 53228.  Service at 1:00 PM.  Following visitation there will be a brief burial service at Good Hope Cemetery, 4141 S. 43rd Street, Greenfield, WI 53220.  On Thursday, May 2 at 11:00 AM there will be a separate Memorial Service held at First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1301 N. LaSalle Drive, Chicago, IL 60610.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois.