Barbara L Thill

With 14 children of her own and their 13 spouses, 45 grandchildren and their spouses, and a growing number of great grandchildren, Barbara Louise (Stebbins) Thill, age 82 of Berwyn, finally found peace and quiet on October 17, 2020, succumbing to Pulmonary Fibrosis after a long battle.  Barbara was a woman of compassion and great faith, serving as a nurse early in life and spreading the Lord's word for decades as a Sunday school teacher and a prayer warrior in the Blue Army.  In her later years, she loved to sit at the park watching the ducks, or at the kitchen table engaging family and friends in a game of Scrabble, or in front of the TV while knitting baby booties for young at-risk mothers. Even as her health failed, she remained a selfless example of what it means to walk in faith. 

Barbara is survived by Raymond Thill II, her husband of 59 years and the other half of the dynamic duo that raised and nurtured 14 children who shined so brightly at her side throughout her struggle.  Though we ached with her, we thank the Lord for the opportunity to come to her from near and far to say our goodbyes, and learn from her one final lesson of strength, humility, and grace.  We, her children, are forever grateful for the loving example our parents have been for us throughout our lives, setting a bar that drives us to be better parents and better people.  In that regard, our failures are our own, but our successes are theirs.  Their children, and the incredible spouses to whom she mothered as well, are: Raymond III (Lauran), Thomas (Deborah), David (Christine), Lawrence, Edward (Sharla), Mary (Dennis) Strong, Elizabeth (Michael) Majewski, Theresa (Michael) Belsan, Joseph (Bridget), Christopher (Lisa), Bernadette (Brian) Perez, George (Dena), Agnes (Michael) Halmon, and Nicholas (Meloney). 

Family and friends are invited to visit on Thursday, October 22, 2020, from 2:00-8:00pm at Heritage Funeral Home, 3117 S. Oak Park Avenue, Berwyn, IL.  In consideration of those most at risk of COVID, the family has reserved the 2:00-3:00pm hour for touchless visitation (no hugging, no handshakes, mandatory masks)

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00am on Friday, October 23,2020 at St. Odilo Catholic Church, 2244 East Avenue, Berwyn, IL  followed by a procession to Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1400 South Wolf Road, Hillside, IL .

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Saint Odilo Parish.

https://parish.saintodilo.org/donate.html

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.