Stephen E. "Iggy" Ihnat

Stephen E. “Iggy” Ihnat, 63 of Whiting, passed away surrounded by his three daughters on Sunday, May 30, 2021 after privately and courageously battling cancer. He was the beloved son of the late Joseph and Susan (Paunicka) Ihnat. He will be lovingly remembered by his  three daughters Renée Cunning (Ron Manus) of Beverly Hills, CA, Stephanie Vargas (Marcos) of Hammond, IN, Leslie Hall (Zebadiah) of Cortland, NY; his two grandsons Alex and AJ Vargas of Hammond, IN; his siblings Carol Vargo (Frank), Joseph Ihnat, Maria Ihnat (Gary Weiler), Suzanne Arehart (James), all of Whiting, Katherine Marbach (Robert) of Woodstock, GA and the late Edward Ihnat; his niece and nephew Melissa Glenn (Jon) of Camp Hill, PA, Robbie Marbach of Woodstock, GA. 

Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 4, 2021with a Mass of Christian Burial being offered at 10:00am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 119^th St. and Lincoln Ave., Whiting, with the Rev. Mark R. Peres, C.PP.S., officiating; interment to follow at St. John Cemetery, Hammond; visitation at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119^th St., Whiting on Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00pm. The Mass will be live-streamed at www.stjohnbap.org (Due to the current health situation a limitation of 50 people will be allowed in the funeral home at one time, face masks must be worn, social distancing is expected and temperatures will be taken.) Expressions of sympathy may be placed on-line at www.baranfh.com.

Steve was a proud member of the 1975 graduating class of Bishop Noll Institute and earned a double major in Management and Economics in 1979 from Calumet College of St. Joseph. Iggy  worked for the City of Hammond for over 30 years, serving in various positions with his favorite being in sign painting. He was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association Branch 81 and the Teamsters Local 142. On many days you could find Steve at the Whiting Public Library and the Pulaski Park Senior Center.  Steve’s greatest joys were his daughters, his grandsons and the Chicago Cubs, leaving the priority up to interpretation. There wasn’t a raffle ticket he wouldn’t buy or a tip board he wouldn’t purchase to support various local charities. His lotto pools were legendary and his generosity through thoughtful gifts and letters that would arrive on your doorstep at any time, no holiday required. There was also never a question on who or where it came from with its blatantly obvious Steveo décor and postage stamps. He had enough stamps and baseball cards to provide a lifetime supply for everyone in the region as well as a wide-ranging catalog of stick men drawings for any and all occasions. Steve’s thoughtfulness, generosity, laughter and compassion will be missed by all who loved and knew him. We know he will continue to root in heaven for the Cubs...wait ‘til next year...

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