Top Banner for Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington Obituary
Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington Obituary

Brought to you by Modell Funeral Home

Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington

Darien, IL

August 14, 1941 - November 27, 2020

Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington Obituary

Antoinette (Tonie) Harrington of Downers Grove, IL, loving wife and Mother, passed away on Friday, November 28 at the age of 79. She was born in Chicago,IL to the late Anna Gasparovich (nee Nakicen) and Anton Gasparovich. Tonie grew up in an area adjacent to Chinatown, and graduated from Our Lady of Incornata, Our Lady of Perpetual Help High School, and St Xavier College. She worked as a social worker for the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council before marrying her husband, Daniel. The couple moved to Downers Grove in 1975 and had two children, Daniel and Kelli. Tonie worked for the Village of Downers Grove as a legal secretary, preparing minutes of village meetings for thirty years. In 2005, Tonie’s passion for writing led her to enroll in a distance program at the University of Nebraska. She graduated in 2007 with a Masters in Fine Arts degree in Creative Non-Fiction. She self-published a memoir, in addition to a number of published articles, and edited two books. Tonie also ran her own writing companies for many years, Writing Resources, and WritingAroundTheBlock. Tonie’s biggest sources of pride were her children and their accomplishments. Both Dan Jr and Kelli graduated from Northwestern University, Kelli with Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees in Vocal Performance, and Dan Jr with a PhD in Materials Science. Tonie had a lifelong passion and love for music and popular culture. From her earliest fascinations with Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix; to her discovery of The Gatlin Band, Styx, and Air Supply; to her everlasting dedication to Prince in all his artistic incarnations – Tonie’s tastes were wide-ranging and universal. She also had a thriving online presence, creating communities that celebrated pop culture, obsessions with movies and TV, and making friends worldwide. Tonie is survived by her husband of 48 years, Daniel; her son Daniel Jr who lives in Houston TX with his wife Dr Keila Lopez and their daughter, Sabine; and her daughter Kelli who lives in Chicago with her partner Michael Brozick. She is also survived by her dear cousin Rozanne Zibricky (nee Bertucci) and Rozanne’s husband Robert; Tonie’s nephews Gregory, David, and Brian, as well as in-laws Adna and Virgilio Lopez. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Jeanne Gorman (John) and Elaine Fenlon (John). Finally, she is survived by their most exuberant German Shepherd, Shiloh. A Funeral Mass will be held at Divine Savior Catholic Church of Downers Grove, but due to Covid-19 concerns, it will be for the immediate family only, with live-streaming on Facebook Live. Details on attending the Mass virtually will be available through Dan & Kelli’s Facebook pages. A text will be sent to all indicating the time of the Mass. A celebration of Tonie’s life will be planned in mid 2021 in hopes that her family and friends can attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

To share a memory or send a condolence gift, please visit the Official Obituary of Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington hosted by Modell Funeral Home.

Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Antoinette "Tonie" Harrington.