Rev. Peter Borzeka

1921 - 2011

Rev. Peter Borzeka (retired) died August 15, 2011. He was 89 years old. He was born in Staten Island, New York on December 28, 1921, and was raised in Morristown, NJ where he graduated from high school. Following high school, he joined the Salvation Army. He became an officer with the Salvation Army where he met Bernice Marie Hill, who was also an officer. They were married on September 25, 1947, in Evanston, IL. Following marriage, Peter and Bernice resigned from the Salvation Army, and Peter began working during the day as a bookkeeper. At night, he attended Roosevelt University in Chicago until he earned his degree. He then enrolled at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago where he earned his Masters of Divinity degree and became an ordained Baptist minister.

His first church assignment as a minister was with Gethsemane Baptist Church on the near southwest side of Chicago. After 2-1/2 years at Gethsemane, he took a post as the minister at the First Baptist Church in Pontiac, IL, where he stayed for 9 years. After Pontiac, he moved to the First Baptist Church in Havana, IL, where he stayed for 6 years. Following Havana, Peter took a position with the Baptist-affiliated Judson College (now University) in Elgin, IL. He and his wife moved to Elgin in 1975, where he did fund raising and recruiting for the college by traveling to churches throughout the Midwest. He retired from this position with Judson in 1985. During his semi-retirement, he did sermons for vacationing pastors at various churches for a period until he moved to Lewistown, IL, in October of 2005. In 2010, he received the Golden Eagle award from Judson University for his years of service as both a college trustee and with the fund-raising department.

His parents, Athan and Athena Borzeka; three sisters, Christina (DeHagara), Elsie (Gerdes) and Julie (Baldwin); and three brothers, Efstratios, Michael and Nicholas preceded him in death.

He is survived by his loving wife Bernice; his son, Peter and wife Michele of Orland Park, IL., two daughters, Chris and husband Phil Johnson of Lewistown, IL., and adopted daughter Andriani, husband David and son Christopher George Carson of Raleigh, N.C.; his grandchildren Cory Row and Isabella Borzeka; his siblings, Stephen Borzeka of Las Vegas, NV and John and wife Chrysanthe of Randolph, NJ, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

Visitation services will be held from 5-7 pm on Thursday, August 18. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am on Friday, August 19; both services will be held at Hurley's Funeral Home in Havana, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First Baptist Church of Havana, IL.