ADELE SHIRLEY SANDBLOM

1921 - 2020

DES PLAINES - Adele Shirley Sandblom, a 46-year resident of Des Plaines, peacefully passed away at age 99 on Dec. 30, 2020 at Riverside Senior Life Communities, Bourbonnais, IL, where she lived for the past four years. Born March 11, 1921 in Chicago to Martin and Eunice Christensen Mikulich, she was graduated with honors from Amundsen High School in Chicago. An avid ballroom dancer, she met her husband, Edwin, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. She lived in Chicago until moving with her husband to Des Plaines in 1963. In 2009 she moved to Luther Village in Arlington Heights, and finally in 2016 to Riverside Senior Life Communities. Always adaptable to change, Adele immersed herself in various occupations wherever she went. In Chicago she worked at Riggs Optical Co, Bastian-Blessing Co., and was a claims adjuster for Bankers LIfe and Casualty Co. Upon moving to Des Plaines, she became an executive secretary at City Products. She also volunteered in her early years in the PTA and at her church. Later she was a Master Gardener, advising people on plant issues, helped at food banks, was a game instructor at Frisbie Senior Center, Des Plaines, and worked in the Mt. Prospect Parks District greenhouses. Adele was also a very social person, known as a fantastic cook who gave countless parties and dinners including family and friends who were alone. For years she was active in the senior group at Lattof YMCA, Des Plaines, and with her husband, Edwin, participated in social activities in the Elks Club in Des Plaines and in the Skokie Valley Power Squadron. They boated all over the Illinois and Wisconsin waterways as well as the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. Golf was another of her passions, and she was part of competitions at Lake Opeka in Des Plaines and in Mt. Prospect. She travelled throughout much of the U.S., most of the continents, and many tropical islands. She was an airline passenger on the Concorde as well as on many cruise ships. Most of all Adele was a wonderful role model for her family who continued over a century of family holiday traditions. Her beloved husband, Edwin, preceded her in death in 1991. She is survived by daughters, Patricia and Linda; six grandchildren, Juliet, Jennifer, Eric, Adam, Sarah, and Claire; four great-granddaughters, Kate, Elsie, Gracie, and Greta; as well as goddaughter, Margaret. You will be greatly missed for your fun- loving nature, endless energy, practical mindset, and love of family and friends. A memorial service is pending. Donations may be made to the Trees in Memory program at Arbor Day Foundation, 211 N.12th St., Lincoln NE 68508.