Ann Lawson Burkhardt

Ann Lawson Burkhardt, 76, passed away on Sept. 5, 2025, at JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington, Ill.

Despite battling multiple chronic illnesses, Ann continued working nearly until the end, most recently as an appeal writer for medical claims that were denied. This job allowed her to exercise her strong sense of fairness and boundless compassion as well as her professional skills.

Ann changed careers late in life, earning a degree in health information technology from College of Lake County after opportunities dwindled in the travel industry. She had previously worked as a consultant and as a database manager for travel firms, positions that gave her a chance to travel and indulge her curiosity about the world around her. She was an avid reader and had a special fondness for Japanese cuisine and Swedish mystery novels.

Born May 2, 1949, to Edward and Grace Lawson, Ann grew up in Elmhurst, Ill., where she graduated from York Community High School. She studied sociology at the University of Illinois-Chicago and lived in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood before moving to the northwest suburbs and settling in Elgin. She was a member of the North Shore Unitarian Church before moving to Elgin.

Ann is survived by a daughter, Astrid Jean Burkhardt of Bartlett, Ill.; two granddaughters, Kathleen Oakes of Mount Prospect, Ill., and Kaitlin Alm of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and two sisters, Katherine Hart of Chicago and Jean (Joe) Gastiger of DeKalb, Ill. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Burkhardt, her parents and a brother, Curt Lawson.

Funeral arrangements are private. Cremation rites and arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.