Yorkville grill cooks up love and care for couple with cancer

By Erika Wurst For Chronicle Media
Bill and Lorraine Richardson, of Oswego, were recently visited at home by Lakeview Grille owner Jim Ratos who brought the couple their favorite meals from his Yorkville restaurant. Regulars of Lakeview Grille, the Richardsons are now in hospice care at home after both being diagnosed with cancer. They just celebrated 66 years of marriage. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

Bill and Lorraine Richardson, of Oswego, were recently visited at home by Lakeview Grille owner Jim Ratos who brought the couple their favorite meals from his Yorkville restaurant. Regulars of Lakeview Grille, the Richardsons are now in hospice care at home after both being diagnosed with cancer. They just celebrated 66 years of marriage. (Photo by Erika Wurst / for Chronicle Media)

A good meal goes a long way in the Richardson Family, which is why when Loryn Baker saw her grandparents Bill and Lorraine Richardson enjoying their favorite meal last week, it brought tears to her eyes.

On any other day, the photo would have shown the Oswego couple happily dining inside Lakeview Grille in Yorkville. They were regulars of the hometown restaurant and spend birthdays, anniversaries, and nearly every Saturday night dining on delicacies.

“If they were to not show up on a regular day they went, the staff would call and make sure they were okay,” Baker said.

That changed recently when both Bill and Lorraine , who just celebrated 66 years of marriage, were diagnosed with cancer and entered hospice at their home.

“It’s to the point where they can’t really leave the house and they were getting upset,” Baker said. “Going out what their thing and Lakeview Grille was their place, and it was breaking their hearts really.”

That’s until restaurant owner Jim Ratos came up with a plan. If the Richardson’s couldn’t make it to him for a meal, he’d make one and bring it to them.

He recently surprised the couple at their home and snapped a photo that went viral as quickly as Baker posted it on the web.

Moved by the action, Baker wrote about the gesture and posted it to Facebook where it was quickly liked by thousands of people and shared by hundreds.

“I cried when I saw the picture,” Baker said. “If you look at my grandma’s face closely it is shining with tears of gratitude.”

Baker said she feels immense gratitude toward Ratos and his restaurant, as well.

“It’s a business that’s not about making money. This place chose to go out of its way to make a sweet, little, old coupe happy. That’s a relationship that was created. It’s not just a business thing,” she said.

Based on the comments on Baker’s post, many local diners feel the same way about Lakeview Grille and the Ratos family.

“What a great guy. You just don’t hear about stuff like that too much anymore,” one poster commented. “I love that restaurant, also now I love it even more.”

Lakeview Grille is located at 604 W. Veterans Pkwy. in Yorkville. For more information visit www.lakeviewgrille.com or call (630) 553-3055.

 

— Yorkville grill cooks up love and care for couple with cancer  —