Maria T. Kennedy

Maria T. Kennedy died on Monday, May 12, 2014, at the age of 88. She was born on August 14, 1925, in Chicago, to Joseph and Anna (nee Asaro) Torneo, who both came to the United States from Sicily.Maria attended St. Mary"s High School and spent 2 years at DePaul University in Chicago, where she met her future husband, John Francis Kennedy. The couple was married on November 16th, 1946, at St. Jarlath"s Church.Maria held many jobs throughout her life. When she was young, she worked as a shoe model and dancer for Joe Keith Studios. She also worked for Cardinal Cody at the Archdiocese of Chicago. Other jobs included working for Ryan"s Regent Travel and Tours, Allstate Insurance, Continental Airlines, Liljegren Harvey Construction, Penray, and more recently, as a secretary for St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish, where she was a member for over 30 years.Her proudest achievements, though, involved her volunteer work. Early in her marriage she was a Troop Leader of both Brownie and Girl Scout Troops, she taught CCD to high school students for 3 years, and served in many capacities on the Guild of the Tabernacle at St. Juliana. She worked as a Candy Striper at Resurrection Hospital and then as Chairman of their Ways and Means Committee. Maria was Director of the Niles Chamber of Commerce and afterwards served on their Beautification Committee for 2 years. She was a Eucharistic Minister, Auxiliary Minister of Communion to the sick, a Minister of Care, a Bereavement Minister, and was a member of the National Association of Chaplains since 1983. Her formal training for the Lay Ministry was at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, and for Pastoral Ministry, she attended Dominican University in River Forest. She practiced at Lutheran General Hospital, Northwest Community Hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Addolorata Villa, and Holy Family Hospital. Maria was also an Election Judge and Notary Public, volunteered at the Prospect Heights Public Library, the Food Pantry and PADS at her church, and worked for Rainbow Hospice for 6 years. Because she was widowed at the age of 56, Maria also started and was the facilitator of Widowed Self-Help Support Groups for 17 years at St. Alphonsus.With all of her volunteer work, Maria still found time for herself. She enjoyed line dancing, bowling, bocce ball, reading, attending plays, getting together with friends to play cards and Rummy Cube, and she was a member of the Senior Fun Club and the Red Hatters. She was also the proud owner of a certificate saying she was a "Die Hard Cubs Fan" since 1933.Maria is survived by her daughters, Cathy Kennedy (John) Freechack, Susan (Timothy) Lippert, and Donna Kennedy; grandchildren, John K. (Laura) Freechack, Amanda Freechack and Elizabeth Freechack; siblings Joseph Torneo and Estelle O"Brien, and many nieces and nephews.In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, John F. Kennedy.The Memorial Visitation for Maria is on Thursday, May 29, 2014, from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Memorial Gathering will take place on Friday, May 30, 2014, from 9:30 a.m. until the 10:30 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish, 411 N. Wheeling Road, Prospect Heights, Illinois.Private burial will take place at a later date at Maryhill Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, please consider having a Mass said for Maria. The family is also planning to have a tree planted on the grounds of St. Alphonsus Liguori Parish in her memory.Please visit the video presentation honoring Maria Kennedy's life at: http://videos.lifetributes.com/493342