Mary Grace Milota

Grace Milota (nee Hunt) of Palatine, Illinois died on Sunday, December 6th at the age of eighty. Grace is survived by her beloved and devoted husband Jim. They celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary on June 27, 2015. Dear sister of Patricia Vogel (nee Hunt) of Los Gatos, CA. Loving mother of Mary (Martin) Szostak of Northbrook, IL; James (Erin) Milota of Stoughton, WI; Maureen Milota (Mark Thomas) of Chicago, IL; Madelyn (Michael) McNamara of Arlington Hts., IL.Cherished grandmother of Frances, Donna, and Peter Szostak; Michael, Patrick, and Grace McNamara; Ellee, Addy, and Hunter Milota and many more nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Donald Hunt and Grace Hunt (nee Kelly); her sister, Jane Hunt, and her brother, Donald Hunt, Jr. Grace graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. from the School of Pharmacy as one of the first two women in the program. She worked actively until her late sixties while still helping family and friends with advice. Her activities in college were many and varied. Grace was President of Kappa Epsilon, editor of the University of Arizona Pharmacist, and Secretary of the Senior Class. She met her husband Jim after the Notre Dame - USC football game at a party hosted in Los Angeles, CA by the Catholic Alumni Club in which she was the secretary. Thereafter, she became a life-long Fighting Irish fan attending an abundance of games with Jim who played football at Notre Dame. Grace assisted Jim planning many events for his Class of 57’. Grace was interviewed this year at the Notre Dame-USC for a segment to possibly be aired on ESPN 30 on 30. Grace was a woman of deep faith, who was sustained by the love of family and friends. She brought abundant joy to all those whom she encountered. Compassionate and caring, Grace was an active volunteer, tutoring children in English at several parishes while fundraising for multiple charities. In addition, she enjoyed playing bridge, reading, and travelling. She went to watch her children and grandchildren at countless sporting events including: football, basketball, cross-country, track, swimming, soccer, ice-skating,hockey, and dance from grade school through college. Grace had an array of school t-shirts and apparel always sporting them to support her team. She was always the #1 fan to her family as well as their teammates. In addition to sporting events she attended all the kids’ school plays, musicals, and graduations. Grace researched her ancestry tracing back to County Mayo, Ireland in which she documented in a book for each of her four children. Grace will be fondly remembered for her beautiful smile, wonderful sense of humor, encouraging words, and open loving heart. She was equal parts joy plus laughter plus a hint of mischief.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Standing Tall Charitable Foundation, 1100 North River Road- The Villa, Des Plaines, Illinois, 60016 (http://standingtallfoundation.org/donation.html)