Margaret 'Meg' Lauer

Margaret 'Meg' Lauer

Chicago, IL - Margaret 'Meg' Lauer, age not enough, died on January 24th, 2018 after a long illness. Margaret was born to Bill and Harriet Kelly, the youngest of five. Peggy grew up in Michigan City, IN at Duneland Beach's Stop 35 on her beloved Lake Michigan. She moved to Chicago to attend Loyola, where she changed her name to Meg, met the very best of people, and where her grandfather helped introduced her to the love of her life, Mark Lauer, whom she married in 1982. Meg and Mark had an incredible life together full of love and adventure-moving all over the country, raising their two daughters Erin and Maureen in Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Omaha and Dobbs Ferry, NY before moving home to Chicago. She was blessed to make life-long friends in each place.

Meg was non stop. In her 59 years, she earned a BA and MBA from Loyola Chicago, worked in the insurance sector, and made the world a better place, volunteering with organizations like the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Washington Irving's Sunnyside, the Hudson River Museum, After School Matters, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Dobbs Ferry PTSA, in addition to being elected twice to the Dobbs Ferry Board of Education. She worked as an election inspector in New York, and did we mention she was on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?

Even with all of that, her greatest joy was being a mom. She raised two amazing daughters, Erin and Maureen, that she bragged about to everyone. Meg raised them to share in her passions: volunteering, Chicago Cubs baseball, reading by the pool, traveling the world, improving the education system, and when they were old enough, great drinks. Erin and Maureen couldn't have asked for a better mom.

Those that had the joy to know her miss her dearly. She is survived by her beloved family: Mark, Erin, and Maureen (Tom Chase). In addition, her brother Bill Kelly (Mary Gross) and sisters Kathy Kelly and Ilene Kelly (Randy Wendt) survive her; she was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Mary. She is also remembered fondly by her many brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews and friends the world over.

Help us to commemorate Meg's life by giving to two causes close to her heart: the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, http://rizzo44.com/donate/, and the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry at South Presbyterian Church, https://dobbsferrypantry.org/donations/ .

Visitation held Wednesday, January 31, 2018, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Old St. Patrick's Church, 700 West Adams, Chicago, IL 60661. Memorial Mass Thursday, February 1st at 10:00 a.m. A Memorial Service & Reception will also follow in Dobbs Ferry, New York in February. Information: ELEMENTS, the cremation company, 855-550-5151, www.elementscremation.com.