Hubert “Hub” Peter Dretzka, age 98, of Cudahy, passed away on Friday, January 5, 2018. Beloved husband of the late Violet Dretzka nee Pappelis; Loving father of Gary (Donna) Dretzka, Joan (Daniel) Batlle and Diane (Paolo) Fellin; proud grandfather of John, Natasha, Sylvia, Natalie, Nick and Jordi; devoted son of the late Jerome and Elynor Kleineider Dretzka. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his sisters and brothers; Marianne Cherrie, Lenore Fluyeras, Roland, Kenneth, and Jerome “Jerry” Dretzka and two that died in infancy Jerome and Joan Caryl. He was also preceded in death by in-laws James Cherrie, Nick Fluyeras and Jill Dretzka and survived by sisters-in-law Elaine and Mary Lou Dretzka and many nieces, nephews and godchildren.

Hub was a proud, lifelong resident of Cudahy and a member of St Frederick/Nativity of the Lord Catholic Church. His business, Hub Dretzka Insurance and Real Estate Agency, was a 50 year institution in Cudahy. There he loyally served thousands of clients and made almost an equal number of friends in the process. From behind his larger than life desk he conducted business, dispensed wise advice, and even mentored numerous young people who were always welcome to stop by to browse through Cudahy High School yearbooks or to find an open ear to talk about whatever was on their minds, making him often late for dinner (!). He had a strong sense of duty and civic pride. He was active in countless volunteer activities from the Cudahy Jaycees in his younger years, to AFS in his middle years, and to the Cudahy Family Library and the Cudahy Historical Society in his later years. One of his proudest accomplishments was seeing Cudahy’s Immigrant Park and its beautiful statue rise and be inaugurated. Mostly he was an exceptional husband and father to his own children and grandchildren, his AFS children, and to many others along the way. It is anyone’s guess how many two dollar bills he dispensed along the way for birthdays to all the kids he loved. Hub, “rest assured to the best insurer,” to paraphrase his own business motto. You will be missed. In lieu of flowers, The Cudahy Family Library and The Cudahy Historical Society would welcome donations. Heartfelt thanks to staff and friends at The Merion. .