Dennis "Jay Warren" Wolkowicz.

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Remembering Dennis “Jay Warren” Wolkowicz:
January 5, 1951 - February 24, 2025

Dennis J. Wolkowicz, better known as “Jay Warren”, died at 74, the loving husband of Linda Stagner, devoted brother of Kenneth (Sharon) Wolkowicz, cherished uncle of Kirstin (Michael) Finneran and Kerilyn (Frank) Johnson, treasured great-uncle of Sean Finneran, and adoring cat dad of Ms. Emma.

“His passion was silent films,” his wife Linda Stagner said. “As a kid … he’d watch them. He thought they were cool.” “He played the accordion like all good Polish boys”, but eventually learned the organ and in the mid-1980s he gave his first performance at the former Gateway Theatre (now Copernicus Center), 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., in Jefferson Park. Wolkowicz helped manage the theatre for 18 years. It included a 17-rank (sets of pipes) pipe organ that Wolkowicz had acquired, with most of the pipe sets coming from a church, Linda said. Each organized set produces a different sound. He used the name “Jay Warren” when he performed because of the difficulty some had pronouncing his last name, she said.

The pipes were later removed from Copernicus and there were plans to have them installed in the Portage Theatre at 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. which Wolkowicz and his partners started operating in the mid-2000s, but plans did not materialize and the Portage Theatre was sold in 2012.

Wolkowicz founded the Silent Film Society of Chicago, and he performed at theatres, churches and elsewhere including City News Cafe, 4018 N. Cicero Avenue where he was to play on that Sunday but passed away a short time before the scheduled performance. Joe Angelastri, owner of the City Cafe, said “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Dennis. His dedication to the neighborhood, to historic preservation and to the arts was unwavering. Dennis was more than a colleague. He was a friend, a mentor and a champion for Chicago’s cultural heritage. His loss is profound, but his impact will be felt for generations to come. My thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends and all who were fortunate enough to know him.”

Linda Stagner said that Wolkowicz, a Gordon Tech graduate, had a strong passion for Six Corners, where the film society has its office. He grew up not far from Six Corners, living his entire life in the same house.

Visitation for Jay was on Sunday, March 2, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Kolbus-John V. May Funeral Home, 6857 W. Higgins Ave., Chicago, IL. Funeral prayers were on Monday, March 3 at 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home with procession following to St. John Cantius for Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment followed at Elmwood Cemetery, River Grove, Illinois.

Donations in Jay’s memory may be made to The Silent Film Society of Chicago.