A south suburban Chicago man with dementia who had been missing for weeks was found dead in Northwest Indiana this week.

The Lake County, Indiana Coroner's office said Chester Palusiak, 72, of Calumet City, was found dead in the 400 block of Superior Avenue in Munster, Indiana.

The coroner's office did not release information about the circumstances of the discovery of Palusiak's body. The cause of his death was pending toxicology tests, and there was no foul play or trauma, the coroner's office said.

Palusiak had last been seen alive on Thursday, Feb. 13, at his home near 165th Street and Wentworth Avenue in Calumet City.

Geneva Cummins said last week that Palusiak would take her and other kids to church when she was 6 years old — and they have stayed in touch ever since.

"When you look at it, you say: 'Well, that's what he did. He took kids to church.' But he did so much more than that. He made sure when we went to church, we were fed," Cummins said. "There were times in my life that I wasn't safe and didn't have the bare necessities. And because of Chester, I did get those things."

Cummins said Palusiak lives with his two sisters.

"One sister had to go out, and Chester and the other sister were at home, and Chester left. He had done something like this once before. but it's been a long time, so it wasn't typical for him to leave," said Cummins. "But he went out that night walking. It was snowing that night, we know that, on February 13 — and of course it turned very cold after that. He did not take his wallet."

Cummins did not have a cellphone, Palusiak said. He had his coat on, but he had nothing else with him, and nobody knew where he was going.