Ellen Jane Issa

Ellen Jane Issa, 88, went to be with her heavenly Father on January 21, 2026, after long struggles with health.

Jane was born in Yonkers, New York, to Alice and Frank McKenna February 21, 1937. When Jane was 5 years old, they moved to Chicago, Illinois where she grew up, enjoying horseback riding, ice skating and all the nostalgic activities and sites of the Windy City, along with her older sister, Joyce.

She attended Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania where she earned a bachelor's degree in education. After teaching for two years in the Chicago area, Jane became a civilian teacher in the military, teaching elementary school on military bases, first in Japan and then in Libya.

Libya is where Jane met the love of her life, Abdel. Engaged after 3 dates, they married 5 months later on January 26, 1963. Jane and Abd moved to Chicago in 1966, with the addition of their first-born son, Joseph, to their family. A short time later, they moved to Joliet, Illinois, where John and Jennifer were born. Jane continued her long teaching career of 33 years, teaching special education and learning-disabled elementary school students in the Lockport school district, during which time she earned her master's degree in education from Northwestern University.

After retiring from teaching, Jane continued to work alongside Abd in the family retail business, followed by managing residential and commercial properties. They both fully retired and moved to Palmetto, Florida in 2015. Jennifer, John and Joseph along with their grandson Nicholas, followed over the following few years to live in the South Shore area.

Jane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She lived and spread her faith each day through her example. Jane was passionate about peace in the world, with a special love for the middle east, praying constantly for the end to war and comfort for those afflicted, especially children.

Jane is survived by her husband Abdel; her three children: Joseph, John and Jennifer Schnackenberg and her husband Robert; five grandchildren: Michael, Christopher and his wife Riva, Nicholas, Blake and Taylor; and ten great-grandchildren: Anthony, Amiyah, Giovanni, Olivia, Carly, Christopher, Alexander, Raquel, Cecilia and Leia. She was preceded in death by her parents Alice and Frank McKenna, sister Joyce Zuckerman, nephew Kevin Zuckerman, daughter-in-law Gina and many friends and relatives.

Visitation will be held from 12pm to 1pm on January 30th at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Ruskin, Florida. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated beginning at 1pm at St. Anne's followed by interment at Mansion Memorial Park in Ellenton, Florida.

The Funeral Mass will also be livestreamed at saintanneruskin.org/jane

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund at www.pcrf.net or Doctors Without Borders at Give.DoctorsWithoutBorders.org