Former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for 18 years and Civil Engineeer and Professional Land Surveyor, Frank and Sharilyn aka Sherry (Nee: Hooste) Avila give thanks for their 60th Wedding Anniversary November 27, 2025.
Frank was born and lived in Chicago all his life. Sherry was born and lived in Peoria for her first 19 years until she spent Summer, 1961 working in Chicago as Director of Vacation Bible School at Kelly Methodist Church on the south side of Chicago when she decided to stay in Chicago. Frank met Sherry at Esther Hall Girls’ Club in Chicago where Sherry lived while working as an administrative assistant and attending Chicago Teachers College, South.
Frank had just completed his BS Degree in Civil Engineering from the U. of IL, Urbana-Champaign, January, 1961. Sherry completed her BS Degree in Elementary Education from the U. of IL, Urbana-Champaign, January, 1966. After they married, they moved to Tucson, Arizona where Frank earned his MS Degree in Finance from the U. of AZ in Tucson while Sherry taught first grade. When they moved back to Chicago, Frank eventually opened his own Civil Engineering business named Avila & Associates, Inc. for 27 years.
Frank and Sherry give thanks for joining the Irish American Heritage Center since 2002. Sherry sang with the Irish Heritage Singers for 20 years including a trip to an International Singing Festival in Sligo, Ireland which turned out to be the trip of a lifetime. Since Sherry was a Docent at Loyola University Museum of Art and attended a National Docent Symposium, she presented slides to volunteers about how and what to tour at the IAHC in a series of several lessons. She arranged for various volunteers to serve as docents at the IAHC. Frank and Sherry also served as docents for tour groups. In addition, Sherry presented various slide presentations about Irish/Celtic topics for the Celtic Women International as well as Shamrock Seniors. They also participated with other Irish Community Services’ volunteers in creating the beautiful Irish Mosaic Mural outside the IAHC. Frank and Sherry enjoyed Francis O’Neill Club’s Irish Ceili set dancing every week, attended Theresa Choske’s Irish Teas, Irish lectures, IBAM, Holiday parties, Bloomsday, and more. FRANK and SHERRY LOVE the CRAIC and the CAMARADERIE of the IAHC!
Frank and Sherry give thanks for their greatest blessings of three amazing adult children and six wonderful grandchildren: Lawyer Son Frank and Grandson Jakub Avila Kowalkowski; Frank, wife Rachel, and Grandchildren Clarence Bledsoe and Thalia Avila; Son IT Quinn, wife Jackie, and Granddaughter Brooke Avila; Daughter Environmental Lawyer Audrey, husband Bankruptcy Lawyer Jaime Torres, and Granddaughters Francesca and Analena Avila-Torres.
Frank and Sherry give thanks for their incredible travel adventures to Barbados,
Belgium, Canada, Canary Islands, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and others where they learned about each other’s cultures as well as the many other
cultures in Chicago and around the world.
Frank and Sherry Avila give heartfelt thanks to God and to each of you who
have been a part of their 60 years of marriage.
