Noel Tetrev, 70, of Oak Park, husband, father, friend and mentor, died on July 18, 2019, after a long battle with lymphoma. The son of Richard Tetrev, a dentist in Berwyn and Oak Park, and Helen Gabriel Tetrev, a homemaker, he was born and raised in Elmhurst, graduating from York Community High School in 1967, where he found a creative home in their theater department. He attended Columbia College to pursue an interest in photography which led to work in commercial studios and cinematography.
Realizing his true gifts lay in work behind the scenes as a maker of props and sets, he gradually developed his skills as a cabinetmaker and furniture designer. He established his own cabinet shop, Noelwood, in Chicago, and worked for many of the city’s leading architects for more than 20 years.
Among the earliest generation of young men to survive a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1974 and again in 1977, after his third diagnosis and remission in 1994, he married Jennifer, his loving partner of 24 years. Shortly thereafter he retired to raise their young son and to volunteer his considerable creative talents wherever he was needed.
In addition to his wife, Jennifer Smith and son, Gabriel Tetrev, Noel is survived by his sister, Susan Murphy; his niece, Kate Murphy; and his nephew, Brian Murphy. They will be joined by his sister- and brother-in-law, Polly Smith and John Boyle, and nephews Jack and Simon Boyle, all of Oak Park, and a wide circle of dear friends and extended family for a private celebration of his life in September.
Charitable donations in honor of his creative and loving spirit may be made to the “Acorn to Arabella” project. Details are available online at http://www.acorntoarabella.com.
