Nancy Kerwin

Nancy Kerwin (Nee Hennessy)

Nancy Kerwin, 72, a loving mother, sister, aunt, friend, and educator, passed away suddenly on September 17, 2025, surrounded by her closest family and friends, after suffering a stroke.

Born January 19, 1953, in Oak Park, IL, Nancy grew up in Hillside as the third child of Elizabeth and Michael Hennessy. A devout Catholic from the start, she attended St. Domitilla School in Hillside and then graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Westchester. Nancy earned her bachelor’s degree in math from Illinois Benedictine College (now Benedictine University) in 1975 and began her teaching career as a junior high math teacher at Visitation Catholic School in Elmhurst. In 1979, she relocated to Oregon, IL, to raise her family and in the process uncovered a new career opportunity. In 1990, she became the very first teacher in the Oregon Park District’s Children’s Center. Over the next 28 years, she nurtured hundreds of 3- and 4-year-olds with her warm smile, love of learning and plenty of patience. Her leadership within the Park District extended beyond the Children’s Center as she often volunteered her time and constantly sought ways to improve students’ learning experience and engage the community. After retiring, she returned to the Chicago suburbs to be closer to her family and lifelong friends.

Nancy will be remembered for her genuine interest in everyone around her, always asking thoughtful questions and wanting the best for those she loved. Despite living with Celiac disease, which required a strict gluten-free diet, she never complained about her restrictions. A perfect example of Nancy’s selfless nature is how she continued baking treats for family gatherings and gigantic trays of Christmas cookies at the holidays, using ingredients she could not enjoy herself.

Her generosity knew no bounds. Never a holiday or birthday passed without a card or text from Nancy. She was always the first to RSVP to family events, immediately asking "What can I bring?" At Christmas, she showered her great nieces and nephews with carefully chosen gifts, taking time to select something special for each child. When family members celebrated milestones, Nancy was there offering her time and willingness to lend a hand.

Nancy's Catholic faith was central to her life, including regular church attendance, weekly adorations, and living out Catholic values daily.

She was also a passionate Chicago White Sox fan and fervent supporter of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Above all, she maintained her zest for life and caring spirit despite facing significant challenges, including the tragic loss of her son, Joseph, in 2005.

Nancy is survived by her daughter, Colleen, who was her loving confidant and best friend, and son-in-law, Richard Berg, whom she adored for his shared sense of humor. She is also lovingly remembered by her sister Mary Beth Tomich (Paul), brothers Michael Hennessy (Judy) and Martin Hennessy (partner Larry Leonchik), her aunt Ann Hennessy, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews who were blessed by her constant care and generosity.

She was preceded in death by her son Joseph Kerwin III, her parents, Elizabeth and Michael Hennessy, and many loving aunts and uncles, especially James Hennessy.

Visitation will be held at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Lisle, Illinois on Monday, September 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will take place on Tuesday, September 23 at 11 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Lisle, Illinois, with one hour of visitation preceding the mass. A private interment will be held at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Nancy Kerwin’s memory to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association www.stroke.org, or the Celiac Disease Foundation www.celiac.org.

Nancy's greatest lesson was not taught in a classroom but through her example of how to live with grace, generosity, and genuine care for others. That legacy will carry on in the countless lives she influenced throughout her wonderful life. May she Rest in Peace.