Jill Hartley Hartwig

Jill (Hartley) Hartwig, 76, of Barrington, IL passed away on January 3, 2024.  Jill was born on December 16, 1947, to Betty and David Hartley.  After graduating from Downers Grove North, she went on to study history at the University of Illinois.

While at U of I, she met and fell in love with Ken Hartwig, whom she married on May 22, 1971.  Jill and Ken went on to have one child, their intelligent and musically gifted son Andy.  Jill was a loving and supportive mother to Andy, passing on her love of learning and humor throughout his life.  Andy unexpectedly passed away at the age of 20, but Jill and Ken made his memory a legacy by developing a scholarship fund for future college students. Jill was a driving force in raising money and choosing those award recipients over the years.

After graduating from U of I in 1969. Her first job was to work for Billboard Magazine in Chicago. Jill went on to learn American Sign Language and become a dedicated and beloved teacher of English as a Second Language to deaf students at Harper College.  The revolutionary program she and her colleagues, Martha Brown and Susan Cusack, implemented no doubt changed the lives of her students for the better.

In addition to being a loving wife and mother, Jill was an avid learner.  She kept her intelligence sharp by being a voracious reader and lover of any crosswords she could get her hands on.  If there was ever a trivia night, Jill is who you wanted on your team.

Jill had many hobbies, with travel being at the top of the list.  Jill has explored more countries than many will see in their lifetimes, but England, France, Italy, Germany, and Mexico were nearest and dearest to her heart.  Jill especially loved traveling with family and friends across the US and abroad, strengthening those connections through their shared experiences and stories. Jill loved to collect nativity sets during their travels and would display them while gladly telling you where every single set was purchased.  Her memory was astounding.  Jill was also an excellent gardener and bird enthusiast.  She had a penchant for flowers and was always willing to share her plantings to expand the flower population.  She also enjoyed observing birds in their natural habitat and sharing her bird knowledge with others.

Entertaining and making everyone feel welcome and loved in her presence was quite possibly Jill’s greatest gift. Her warmth and humor were bestowed upon anyone with whom she came in contact.  Her home would always have snacks, drinks, and stories to tell.  She wanted to hear every story you had to tell because she genuinely cared about what you had to say and made you feel special. Jill’s generous spirit shined its brightest through the love she had for her family and friends. Jill’s ability to share her energy and time with all of them, including the most thoughtful gifts that the recipients always found to be meaningful, created so many cherished memories. To be loved by Jill was a gift no one took for granted.

Jill is preceded in death by her son Andrew David Hartwig, parents Betty and David Hartley, In-Laws Floyd and Evelyn Hartwig, Brother-In-Law Reverand John Hartwig, and cousin Martha (Speck) Brown.

Jill is survived and will be missed by her loving husband Ken Hartwig, sister Julie Nass and her husband Gary, Brother-in-law Bill Hartwig and his wife Nancy, Sister-in-law Natalie Hartwig, Nieces and Nephews Berith Hartwig, Shereth Tran (Peter), Joy Latek (Jason), Jenny Orth (Chris), Bill Hartwig (Charisse), Lindsay Wichmann (Ryan), Great-Niece and Nephews Kate Latek, Carson Latek, Harrison Orth, and many cousins.  She will also be missed by her special neighbors nearby and friends across the country.

A private internment was held on January 13, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Andrew D. Hartwig Memorial Music Scholarship Fund, 709 Exmoor Avenue, Barrington, Illinois 60010