Albert Lowell Tangora, known to all as Al, passed away on August 25, 2026, in Oak Brook, IL at the age of 88. His great intelligence, wit, practical jokes and kindness will forever be missed.
Al was born on November 8, 1937, in Evanston, Illinois, to Virginia Martin and Albert Tangora. He attended Evanston Township High School, followed by Grinnell College, where he played football his freshman year. A shoulder injury cut his football career short, and he transferred to Northwestern University, where he completed his degree in business with a minor in psychology.
After college, Al served in the United States Army for two years, stationed at Pearl Harbor and later in Japan. He then returned home to Chicago, Illinois, and began his career at Continental Insurance, where fate had a plan for him. When a young woman named Gail McMonigle walked in for a job interview, Al called into his boss’s office and said, "Please hire her!" That moment sparked a romance that would last 60 years.
Al and Gail married in 1967, and shortly after, Al took over as head of Farm and Home Savings and Loan in Mexico, Missouri, succeeding his father-in-law, Vivian Whitley McMonigle. He led the institution successfully for decades, and when it was acquired by Roosevelt Bank in 1994, he served as their Chief Operating Officer, a role that brought the family to Kansas City, Missouri. He retired at age 55.
Beyond his career, Al was deeply involved in the Mexico, Missouri community, serving on the School Board and remaining an active member of the Rotary Club for decades.
Al and Gail raised two children, Michael Tangora (born 1968) and Jennifer Tangora Virant (born 1969). Retirement suited Al's love of adventure and gambling. He was a lifelong poker player, enjoyed blackjack above all else at the casinos, and took his family on many casino-sponsored trips to Aruba, the Bahamas, and Las Vegas. After retirement, he secretly took a job as a blackjack dealer on a riverboat in Kansas City, a job he promptly quit when they tried to schedule him on holidays.
Al and Gail adored their four grandchildren: Blake and Sophia, born to Michael and Suzanne Tangora, whom they loved visiting in Colorado; and Lincoln and Zane, sons of Jennifer and her husband, Paul Virant. In 2002, following Lincoln's birth, Al and Gail moved to Chicago to help care for him as Jennifer began her career in medicine. When Zane was born in 2004, Paul was opening his restaurant, Vie, and Al became an integral part of it, keeping the books, working as maître d', and refusing any payment except for red wine. He became a beloved fixture among the restaurant's regulars, holding court there most every evening until he finally had to step away.
Al will be remembered for his incredible sense of humor, his keen intellect, and the twinkle in his eye that made everyone around him feel like they were in on the joke.
He passed away three weeks after the death of his beloved wife, Gail Tangora.
He is survived by his children, Michael (Suzanne) Tangora and Jennifer (Paul) Virant; and his grandchildren, Blake Tangora, Sophia Tangora, Lincoln Virant, and Zane Virant, and his brother, Martin (Polly) Tangora.
Celebrations of Life
Family and friends are invited to celebrate Al's life at two gatherings: On Saturday, September 12, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
The Oaks, 1801 E. Liberty St, Mexico, Missouri
On Saturday, October 3, 2026, 1PM-4PM
Hinsdale Golf Club, 140 W. Chicago Ave, Clarendon Hills, IL
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Parkinson's Foundation in Al's memory.
Arrangements by Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale. For more information 630-703-9131 or www.powellfuneraldirectors.com.
