Wendy Koenig

Wendy Kay Koenig, age 56 of Long Beach, CA, formerly of Louisville, KY, Murfreesboro, TN, and Chicago, IL, passed away on October 10, 2022, after a 8-month fight against colon cancer.

Wendy is survived by her mother, Corinne Koenig of Louisville, and wife, Christine Badowski Koenig, formerly of Crown Point, IN, and Chicago, IL. She is also survived by a loving aunt and uncle Amy and Jamie Ramaker of Laguna Woods, CA.

Wendy was preceded in death by her father, Dale Koenig, and her beloved dogs.

She earned a Ph.D. in the History of Art from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in Fine Arts in Art History from Ohio University, a Diploma in Decorative Arts from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) and Christie's Auction House, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Louisville.

She taught art history as a full-time professor since 2003, teaching thousands of students from general education part-timers to Fulbright scholars. Having held positions at Middle Tennessee State University, North Central College, and Long Beach City College (CA), she was proud to have earned tenure three times.

Over the years, she taught a wide variety of undergraduate courses, ranging from the Paleolithic era to contemporary art, and including African-American Art, Women in Art, African Art, Asian Art, Urban and Suburban Studies, and Art Theory and Criticism. Her reviews of exhibitions were published in Artpapers, The International Review of African American Art, and on the College Art Association website.

She had an abiding interest in Museum and Memory Studies and, specifically, Holocaust museums and memorials. Working with the late Dr. Nancy Rupprecht, she published three anthologies of selected, thematic articles on Holocaust Studies. She served on the MTSU Holocaust Studies and Holocaust Conference Committees from 2005 to 2008 and remained an Affiliate Member.

With her wife, she created one of the most comprehensive guides to Chicago's public art: WindyCityPublicArt.com.

Additionally, Wendy served as the Chair of the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction at Long Beach City College and was directly involved in curricular decisions across campus. It was a position she loved, and she was dedicated to ensuring that courses and programs served students well and helped them reach their goals. A devoted campus leader, her effective and efficient meetings were legendary, and her work ethic earned praise from faculty and administration alike. She was especially proud to play an integral role in the creation of the Cultural Curriculum Audit, which earned attention from other colleges across the state, and to be a Student Learning Outcomes Facilitator and Peer Online Course Review (POCR) certified Team Member.

Well loved by students and numerous colleagues, she was passionate about teaching and mentoring students, tirelessly advocating for first generation students, students with mental illness or disabilities, students juggling work and family, LGBTQIA students, and so many others. She found potential in everyone and encouraged those who did not see their own strengths. Wendy often supported colleagues, inspiring them to take on leadership roles on campus.

Her incredible love, kindness, patience, strength, and constant ability to help without question leaves a gaping hole for friends who knew her best. With her twin flame extinguished, the world has gone dark for her beloved wife who knows these few and simple words are never enough to explain what a fantastic human Wendy was during the heartbreakingly short time she shared with all of us. Every record store, independent bookstore, or coffee shop was worth a visit. Every adventure was worthy of an attempt. An avid cyclist, she missed it most after she got ill. Take a ride and remember her.

Her remains will be interred at Cave Hill Cemetery. Celebration of Life plans to come at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, help her family with funeral arrangements and lingering medical bills on GoFundMe: https://tinyurl.com/52azpd8e

Or make a donation in Wendy's name to your favorite animal shelter or Best Friends Animal Society.