Stephen Ronald Tallackson

Stephen Ronald Tallackson, 82, Ogden Dunes, Ind., died Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, after a courageous five-year battle with cancer. He was born May 13, 1944, in Chicago to Kenneth and Bertha (Nussbaum) Tallackson, who preceded him in death. He attended Sullivan High School, Chicago, before earning degrees from Northeastern Illinois State and The University of Chicago. On Aug. 21, 1966, Stephen married Judith Mendelsohn and were eight days shy of celebrating their 60th anniversary. He is survived by his wife, Judith, Ogden Dunes; two sons, Andrew (Alice) Tallackson, Michigan City, Ind., and Erik (Elham) Tallackson, Naperville, Ill.; three grandchildren, Elijah Tallackson, Evelyn Tallackson and William Tallackson; a sister, Linda (Larry) Lattanzi, Glendale, Ariz; and several nieces and nephews. Stephen was an ardent civil rights activist; his proudest accomplishment having marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. He also was key in strengthening Northwest Indiana ties between the Jewish community and other race, faith and gender groups. Stephen taught history at Barat College, Purdue University Northwest and Prairie State College. The family moved to Gary in the early 1970s after he began working for then Mayor Richard Hatcher. He then worked for many years with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and later Amtrak’s EEOC division. Active for decades at Temple Israel in Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood, he was a temple board member and co-chair of the temple’s Social Action Committee, helping organize various multi-racial and interreligious activities. Stephen and his wife traveled extensively around the world, but his greatest joy was family vacations on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. A die-hard season ticketholder for his beloved Cubs, Bulls and Sky teams, he also loved attending Purdue University football games. Stephen loved seeing movies, playing poker games with his buddies, attending Chicago theater and Friday afternoons listening to Chicago Symphony Orchestra as a season ticketholder. A memorial visitation will take place on Friday August 28, 2026, from 3 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 4 p.m. directly at Temple Isreal, 601 Montgomery St., Miller Beach. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel or St. Mary Catholic church in Gary. Please visit Stephen’s online obituary and guestbook at www.burnsfuneral.com.

Stephen Ronald Tallackson

May 13, 1944 - August 13, 2026