Sheila Berner

Sheila Reynolds Berner, age 87, died peacefully on Sunday, September 19th surrounded by her loving family. She had suffered for several years from Alzheimer's but endured it with grace. She was a graduate of Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart (B.A.) and The University of Illinois (M.S.W.), a degree she earned after raising her five children. She then joined the staff of the Howard Area Community Center where she served for twenty-five years as a social worker. Its Family Center now bears her name. Sheila was a woman before her time, a justice-seeking force of nature. Her warmth and inspiration were shared beyond family and friends to anyone who needed help. She was a knockout inside and out, vibrant, beautiful, inclusive, humble, whip smart, hard-working, a ton of fun and usually the first to offer a smile or volunteer for a difficult task. She loved and lived life to its fullest. She adored her large and very talkative family, made perfect ski turns down Jackson Hole Mountain, rode her racing bike well into her eighties and participated in protests for justice throughout her long life. She traveled the world, turning work and family vacations into memorable adventures. Sheila was an effortless and gracious hostess, hosting too-many-to-count dinners at a moment's notice in her home of 60 years. She quietly and unwaveringly lived her faith. It is an absolute certainty that Sheila would have been embarrassed by these accolades. Her humility was genuine. Sheila's children, their spouses and her grandchildren were a source of immense happiness and pride. But her greatest passion and source of immeasurable joy was the love of her life, Robert L. Berner Jr, her best friend and loving husband of 64 years. Together they created a legacy of love, loyalty and patience that extends beyond her family to all who love them. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children Mary Berner (Sally Whaling), Louise Berner Holmberg (Michael), Robert L. Berner III (Libby), Sheila Berner Kennedy (Chris) and John Berner (Eileen); her beloved grandchildren Molly, Mari, Michael and Bobby Moriarty; Rebecca, Louisa, Max and Bobby Holmberg; Rob, Clare Nash (Riley), Tory Korth (Vince), Billy and Lulu Berner; Kate, Chris (Erin), Sarah and Clare Kennedy; and Caroline, Johnny, Tommy and Chris Berner, and one great grandchild(!) Rhett Robert Nash; her dear sisters Susan Sullivan and Mary Ellen Reynolds; her many nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her siblings Thomas A. Reynolds, John J. Reynolds and Anne Reynolds Skakel. There will be mass in celebration of Sheila's life on Friday, September 24 at 5:00 pm at Sacred Heart Church,1077 Tower Rd, Winnetka for fully vaccinated people. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either Fenix Family Health Center or Top Box Foods. Info: donnellanfuneral.com or (847) 675-1990.