Barbara O. Sweeney
On Monday, October 19, 2020, Barbara O. Sweeney (née Reisinger) of Glencoe, Illinois, loving and much-loved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 79. Barbara was the beloved wife of William Sweeney, loving mother of Brett (Deborah) Sweeney, Sean Sweeney, and Allison Sweeney (Christina Casey), and proud grandmother of William, Katherine, Jack, James, and Abigail Sweeney. She will be profoundly missed. Barbara was born on Christmas Day, 1940 to Anton Reisinger and Elizabeth (née Earp) Reisinger, and her whole life was a gift to everyone who knew her. She grew up in New York State including several years on an upstate New York farm with her grandparents. A voracious reader, she excelled in school and won a full-ride academic scholarship to Harpur College on a prestigious New York Regents Scholarship. While at Harpur, she chose the handsomest man in the yearbook, asked him to go to a dance with her – and that one dance led Bill and Barbara Sweeney to 58 happy years of marriage. Bill and Barbara were crazy about each other and their story is a love story. They lived all over the country, welcoming their cherished children Brett, Sean and Allison along the way. In every new house, Barbara used her artistic eye to make a truly beautiful home for the family she loved, including an award-winning historic renovation in Glencoe. Her cooking skills were legendary and envied by many. Keenly intelligent, she was a leader in the League of Women Voters and the Glencoe Women’s Library Club. She was a card shark, contract bridge champion, always curious about the world around her, and wonderful to talk to. Her many loves included beautiful flowers, classic movies, good music, her pets, and above all her children and her forever sweetheart Bill. She was deeply loved by many people because of who she was and how she lived. A private Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Sacred Heart Church in Divine Mercy Parish in Winnetka, IL. Due to current restrictions, attendance is limited and interment will be private. To view the Funeral Mass live on Saturday, October 24, 2020, 10:00 a.m. <a href="https://vimeo.com/471703988">HERE</a> Memorials may be made to one of Barbara’s favorite places, the Chicago Botanic Garden via mail to 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022, or online at https://www.chicagobotanic.org/donate#tribute_donate.Obituary
On Monday, October 19, 2020, Barbara O. Sweeney (née Reisinger) of Glencoe, Illinois, loving and much-loved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away at the age of 79. Barbara was the beloved wife of William Sweeney, loving mother of Brett (Deborah) Sweeney, Sean Sweeney, and Allison Sweeney (Christina Casey), and proud grandmother of William, Katherine, Jack, James, and Abigail Sweeney. She will be profoundly missed. Barbara was born on Christmas Day, 1940 to Anton Reisinger and Elizabeth (née Earp) Reisinger, and her whole life was a gift to everyone who knew her. She grew up in New York State including several years on an upstate New York farm with her grandparents. A voracious reader, she excelled in school and won a full-ride academic scholarship to Harpur College on a prestigious New York Regents Scholarship. While at Harpur, she chose the handsomest man in the yearbook, asked him to go to a dance with her – and that one dance led Bill and Barbara Sweeney to 58 happy years of marriage. Bill and Barbara were crazy about each other and their story is a love story. They lived all over the country, welcoming their cherished children Brett, Sean and Allison along the way. In every new house, Barbara used her artistic eye to make a truly beautiful home for the family she loved, including an award-winning historic renovation in Glencoe. Her cooking skills were legendary and envied by many. Keenly intelligent, she was a leader in the League of Women Voters and the Glencoe Women’s Library Club. She was a card shark, contract bridge champion, always curious about the world around her, and wonderful to talk to. Her many loves included beautiful flowers, classic movies, good music, her pets, and above all her children and her forever sweetheart Bill. She was deeply loved by many people because of who she was and how she lived. A private Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Sacred Heart Church in Divine Mercy Parish in Winnetka, IL. Due to current restrictions, attendance is limited and interment will be private. To view the Funeral Mass live on Saturday, October 24, 2020, 10:00 a.m. HERE Memorials may be made to one of Barbara’s favorite places, the Chicago Botanic Garden via mail to 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022, or online at https://www.chicagobotanic.org/donate#tribute_donate.