Richard Peter Esker

The Esker family is saddened to announce the death of their beloved husband and father, Richard Peter, 70, of Highwood, on December 14, 2025. Richard Peter Esker was born on August 4, 1955, in Harvey, Illinois, to Maurice Francis Esker and his wife, Frances Veronica, née Herman. He and his twin sister, Nancy, were the youngest of the Esker’s three children, including his older brother Tom (Fayth Heath). Lovingly known as “Rick,” he graduated from Marist High School in Chicago, and later, studied mathematics and economics at Loyola University Chicago and the University of Oklahoma, obtaining a master’s degree. In 1984, he wed Lily Frances Stasik of Chicago, Illinois. Throughout their marriage, he was a loving, strong, and gracious husband, a devoted son-in-law to Lily’s parents, Mauvleen and Eugene, and a dedicated, proud father to his only daughter, Claire Gene (as well as a husky, Kundry, and a corgi, Queen Mab).

In the example of his life, he upheld the highest standards of honor, honesty, and integrity, supporting his family in their personal and professional endeavors and, through his work at Continental Bank, Wang Wei, Picturtel, and Cisco Systems, building an extended family of colleagues, mentees, and true friends that crossed all boundaries. As a business leader, he consistently saw the best in his coworkers and supported both their growth as professionals and as human beings. Every day, he sought to use his love of science and technology to find new and effective solutions to real world problems, and in this, make the world a little better, a little safer, and a little happier for even those who never knew him.

He will be fondly remembered for his legacy of curiosity, generosity of spirit, hospitality, work ethic, and openheartedness, as well as deeply missed by those whose lives he touched. He is reunited in Heaven with his parents, sister, and parents-in-law, most especially his mother, mother-in-law, and father-in-law, who he called “Papa.”

A memorial Mass will be held at Christ Our Hope Parish’s Immaculate Conception Campus on January 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM. He will be entombed privately at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Lake Forest.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his honor to The MASTERPIECE Trust.

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