Helen Carey

Helen Kuhn Carey, of Northfield, Illinois, a world-traveler, compassionate and beloved mother and grandmother, dispenser of sage wisdom and advice, and a remarkable, savvy real estate investor, passed away at age 93 on April 22, 2023. Helen, born in 1929 to Joseph and Theresia Kuhn on the north side of Chicago, was a loving wife of 66 years to William T. "Bill" Carey (who preceded her in death), proud mother to William (Linn), Joseph (Renata), Elizabeth (Daniel) Colston, and devoted grandmother to Daniel (Allie) Colston, William Carey, David (Savannah) Colston, Joseph Carey, and Nicholas Carey, as well as a delighted great-grandmother to Charlotte Colston.

A lovely, intelligent, talented and worldly lady who danced on a stage at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago as a child and could play any piece of piano music placed in front of her with flair and aplomb (one of her favorites being "Ragtime Cowboy Joe"), Helen grew up in a household where everyone spoke both German and English and worked extremely hard, but always enjoyed a drive in the country on Sunday after mass, or a picnic in a park. After her parents and a treasured uncle pooled their hard-earned wages and purchased a baked goods shop on Willow Street (soon called the "Kuhn Bakery") in the depression, she joyfully helped the bakers decorate cakes and the counter-helpers ring up sales, sharpening her business, communication, and sales skills at a young age.

In order to earn some extra "pocket-change," Helen also worked after school in the Ravenwood Sears department store on Lawrence Avenue and helped to keep the books for the family bakery (which expanded into cookie production in the 1940s and became the "Delicious Cookie Company"). Her entrepreneurial parents and uncle also began to purchase small apartment buildings in Ravenswood, and she pitched in to help them manage these properties and keep track of rent payments, thereby becoming knowledgeable about real estate in the process.

After graduating from St. Gregory's High School, she attended St. Mary's College, across the street from the University of Notre Dame, where she met her husband of 66 years, Bill Carey. Her high grades as a Biology and English major enabled her to qualify for Valedictorian of her class. Following graduation in 1951, she taught kindergarten classes in the Westmont, Illinois, school district, commuting in her first car, a Studebaker sedan, along old Route 66. She was a tireless proponent of education and learning for her children and grandchildren throughout her life. She continued as a teacher until she became engaged to Bill, who was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during the Korean war, and then traveled around the Mediterranean with other "Navy wives" after their marriage until the end of Bill's service in 1955.

Helen settled in Chicago with Bill, and they raised three children in their Skokie and Northfield homes. She became thoroughly involved in her children's grade-school education, running the Parent-Teachers Association and Winnetka Children's Hour, helping to bring in guest lecturers through the Volunteer Talent Pool and setting up showings of classic movies to enrich their learning experience. Sometimes (to the great surprise of her children), she would even substitute-teach in their classes! An avid gardener, Helen was also happily involved in the Winnetka Garden Club and had a lifelong passion for flowers, plants and trees. She also became involved in New Trier High School parent organizations and presided as the president of the St. Mary's College Chicago Alumni Organization for a number of years, where she enjoyed setting up meetings and lectures for alumni and writing for and editing the organization's newsletter. Despite all of these activities, Helen loved to travel with Bill, and saw numerous countries throughout the world. She also loved to play tennis, walk, tap dance, take Tai Chi classes, watch mystery shows on TV, and go to plays, concerts and musicals, and she had a remarkable eye for modern art and taking terrific photos.

In the late 1970s, Helen turned her professional attention to real estate. With Bill, she invested in apartment buildings in Ravenswood and Lakeview and continued to help to manage her parents' properties. As a result, property ownership and management became their full-time business for the rest of their lives. She truly loved working alongside her husband and children in the family's real estate offices throughout the decades and never retired from business. She spoke to her children daily about their real estate properties and came into the office one day a week at age 93. She even continued to drive her car on her own until a few months before she passed away!

Despite her continued, avid interest in business, she was entirely and wholeheartedly devoted to her family. Helen was extremely proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild; for her, family always came first and foremost, and nothing brought her joy like being surrounded by her family during lunches, dinners or special holiday gatherings. She inspired everyone in her family to strive to do their utmost best in every aspect of life and to never, ever settle for less than that lofty - but achievable - goal.

A truly remarkable renaissance woman, she was an inspiration to her family as a person of deep faith, as well as a business-person, stock market "guru", daughter, spouse, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend. Everything Helen did was out of love for the other person and wanting the best for them. Through her actions toward others, she taught her family to embrace the philosophy of putting others first.

Elegant, sophisticated, well-read, loving, knowledgeable about a wide range of matters large and small, and always full of surprises, Helen was also the great communicator of her family, and she touched so many lives with her kindness, spirit, and generosity. If there is a garden up in heaven, she will surely improve and beautify it until it shines as bright as the sun and warms the hearts of all who visit, just as the memories of her wonderful and exquisite life hearten and inspire her family, which dearly misses her effervescent personality and smile now down below.

Helen also loved happy clothing colors; she thought they spread cheer. We kindly ask those attending the funeral to wear cheerful colors and if you can't attend, please wear happy colors on May 6 and spread cheer in honor of her.

Visitation, Saturday, May 6, 2023, 10:00am until time of Funeral Mass 11:00am at Divine Mercy Parish at Saint Philip the Apostle Church, 1962 Old Willow Road, Northfield, IL 60093. Interment All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Helen's name to American Forests, 1220 L Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20005 (americanforests.org). Info: donnellanfuneral.com or (847) 675-1990