Phyllis Diane Foronda

Phyllis Diane Foronda, age 78 of Blue Island, Illinois passed away on Saturday, April 9, 2022

after a tough battle against cancer. No more suffering. No more pain. She is now at peace

celebrating her first real Easter in heaven.

Close friend and companion of the late Dennis T. VerWey, older sister of Philip G. Foronda and

Francine Foronda Burns (the late Glenn A. Burns), fond aunt of Bradley (Suzy) Burns, Brian

(Leanne) Burns and Rachel Burns (Aaron) Wiemeier, grand aunt to Matthew Burns, Rylan,

Amelia and Hudson Wiemeier. Preceded in death by her parents Teofilo and Eleanor (nee

Kosirog) Foronda, maternal grandparents Joseph and Frances (nee Szymanski) Kosirog and

paternal grandparents Pedro and Agapita Espiritu (nee Edusor) Foronda.

As a child, Diane played the accordian, won several awards at the annual Chicagoland Music

Festival, and played in a band called The Accordianaires. In high school, Phyllis Diane focused

on a commercial business curriculum and could type at lightning speeds of 75 words per minute

without errors! After her graduation from Calumet High School in Chicago in 1961, Phyllis

worked in various banks in the loop (downtown Chicago). In later years, she worked at Sam’s

Club in Tinley Park, IL and also, received a 25-year pin from Walmart in Orland Park, IL.

Diane was an animal lover, particularly koalas and cats. She always had a pet cat and after they

eventually went to “cat heaven,” she took in many stray cats over the years.

Diane took a class in Genealogy and was very thorough in her research and documentation of

her mother’s family line. For the Kosirog Family Reunion in 2000, she and Dennis VerWey

made a beautiful and detailed Family Tree Wall Hanging. The family will always remember this

gift of time spent to show the connections of family members and to demonstrate kinship.

Visitation is at Chapel Hill Gardens South, 11333 South Central Avenue, Oak Lawn, IL 60453

beginning at 10:00 AM on Thursday, April 21, 2022. A Memorial Service will be conducted

at 11 AM by Pastor Robert Crain of Grace Fellowship. Burial immediately following. Family and friends are invited to a luncheon reception after the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, Phyllis Diane encourages donations to: PAWS Chicago Donation Team, 773-

475-4242, www.pawschicago.org or Grace Fellowship Church, 15150 Oak Park Avenue, Oak

Forest, IL 60452, 708-535-1200.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at:

www.ChapelHillGardensSouth.com for the FORONDA family.

For questions or further information, please call 708-636-1200.