JoBe Cerny

JoBe Cerny, age 78 of Grayslake, IL, passed away Friday, October 30, 2026. JoBe was born December 5, 1947, in Cicero, IL. His parents, Joe and Bea Cerny, combined their names to form JoBe’s unique name. JoBe attended Morton East High School in Cicero. Later, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Speech & Drama from Valparaiso University and a Master's Degree in Theater from Northwestern University.

In the 1970s, JoBe joined The Second City as part of both the Mainstage and National Touring Company. He owned and operated Cerny/American Creative Recording Studio in the River North neighborhood of Chicago for over 30 years, completing thousands of projects ranging from commercials and audiobooks to feature films. JoBe will be best remembered for his acting talents in the world of advertising, where he provided the iconic voice for the Pillsbury Doughboy and was the Silent Demonstrator for Cheer Detergent. Spanning over five decades, his career included thousands of other memorable roles in commercials, movies, television, and theatre. On his career, JoBe once said, “I’m lucky, I get to be somebody different every day and in the end, I’m glad I stuck with my irresponsible decision to have fun. It allows me to live happily ever after... every day.”

JoBe was an avid racing fan, driving go-karts well into his 60s, and an enthusiastic model train collector. Well known for his friendly and gregarious personality, he had the extraordinary ability to coincidentally run into someone he knew almost everywhere he went.

JoBe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Eileen Cerny; two sons, Tim (Andrea) Cerny and Patrick (Lily) Cerny; and grandchildren, Archer and Cleo.

A private service was held for immediate family only.