Jose Luis Melgarejo, Sr.

José Luis Melgarejo Sr., 80 years old,  of Mahomet, Illinois passed peacefully on Sunday, May 19, 2019 at Carle Hospital in Urbana with his wife and son by his side.

He was born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala on September 11, 1938 to Concha and Nicolas Melgarejo.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Cheryl Melgarejo of Mahomet. He is also survived by his daughter Patricia (Patty) Melgarejo of Guatemala City, Guatemala and her 4 children Sergio, Lucia, Lessly and Axel;  his daughter Olga (Olguita) Melgarejo of Guatemala City, Guatemala and her 4 children, Luis Manuel, Kerim, Jose Andre, and Maria Fernanda; his son José Luis Melgarejo Jr. and his 3 children Bianca, Sofia and Luis of Highland, Indiana; and by his sisters Olga Melgarejo and Lucy Melgarejo both of Guatemala. He also leaves behind 13 great-children as well as his nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Carlos Giron, and his granddaughter Angel Melgarejo.

Lou Melgarejo came to Chicago, IL from Guatemala in 1970 seeking greater opportunities. Not long after he met and married what would be the love of his life and started a family. He loved his wife and children dearly and enjoyed frequent trips back to his home country to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rivaling his love of family were laughter, music, nature and The Chicago Cubs. Convinced he would not see a World Series title in his lifetime, he was gleefully proven wrong in 2016. He created countless memories for those he encountered and always left them laughing (whether you understood him through his thick accent or not). He enjoyed fishing and pool hustling as well as shouting out incorrect solutions to Wheel of Fortune puzzles.

If there was one thing Lou didn’t like, it was funerals. He wanted a gathering in which people could laugh and share good memories. So in accordance to his wishes a Celebration of Life will be held on June 8, 2019 from 6 to 8 pm at the Lake of the Woods Pavilion.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jose Luis Melgarejo, Sr., please visit our floral store.