Mary "Lyn" Kendeigh

Mary “Lyn” Kendeigh (Forestner), age 80, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 21, 2021, surrounded by family.

She was born on February 15, 1940 in East St. Louis, Illinois, the daughter of Harvey John and Marion (Emory) Forestner. She attended the Academy of Notre Dame in Belleville where graduated with honors and was president of the Glee Club. She graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1962 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She was active in her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, where she was the chapter president. Lyn volunteered in Star Course, the student concert committee and oldest student-run organization at the university. During her freshman year in Star Course, she met her husband, Donald, who walked her home after one of their volunteer shifts. Don and Lyn were married in East St. Louis on August 11, 1962.

Lyn is survived by her husband Donald, her brother Dr. John Forestner (Brad Alford), her children: John (Jena) Kendeigh, Paul (Tracy) Kendeigh, Andy (Wendy) Kendeigh, Kathryn (Keith) Beyer, Anne (Brian) Schmitt, and her grandchildren: Stephen (Heidi) Kendeigh, Sarah Kendeigh, Charles Kendeigh, Katie (Mitch) Vetter, Becca Kendeigh, Thomas Beyer, Sean Beyer, Carolyn Kendeigh, Samantha Kendeigh, Paisley Schmitt, Emory Kendeigh, and Payton Schmitt.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, David Forestner.

Lyn was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother who was known by her 12 grandchildren as “Mimi”. She was given her name by the oldest grandchild and the rest was history. She was a very creative Mimi, always expending her energy into blanket forts and playdough art, and giving the best presents at birthdays, Christmas and any day ending in “y”. She instilled her love of reading by gifting her grandchildren with many books. She loved attending their programs, sporting competitions and recitals.

She was a lifelong volunteer who was PTA president at several District 25 schools, and member and leader of the Friends of the Library and trustee for the Fox River Grove Library. She was a voracious reader who repeatedly won the Summer Reading Challenge at the library. When she wasn’t reading, she was a gifted seamstress, knitter and quilter who shared her talents with her family and community, which included projects such as knitting hats for newborns, Christmas ornaments for high school sports teams of her grandchildren, and most recently, COVID-19 masks for family and friends.

The funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 with visitation beginning at 10 AM until the mass at 11 AM  at St. Anne Catholic Community, 120 North Ela Street (Corner of Franklin and Ela Sts.), Barrington, IL. The burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, 610 Dundee Avenue, Barrington.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent as a memorial in Lyn’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate or JourneyCare Foundation at http://journeycare.org/donate .