Martine M. Maenhout

Celebrating the life of Martine Marie Maenhout (née Thienpont)

Martine M. Maenhout passed away peacefully on February 7, 2026 at the age of 80, in Naperville, Illinois after a short battle with lung cancer, surrounded by the love of her family.

Born in Ghent, Belgium in 1945, Martine spent her childhood years in the town of Merelbeke. She was the oldest of three children, and grew up working in the family textile and clothing shop, Thienpont Textiel. This is where she further developed her sewing skills that she had been taught during her years at a Catholic boarding school; and more importantly discovered her passion for negotiating and selling.

She met her future husband Frank through mutual friends – Raph and Anita Wanzeele – during a double-date in Ghent. Although Frank did not share her passion for professional ballroom dancing, they fell in love and were married in Merelbeke in 1967.

Throughout their 53 years of marriage, Martine and Frank shared a love of travel and discovery, managing to visit all seven continents. They moved house every few years due to Frank's work, Martine always taking it upon herself to establish friendships and get the young family settled as quickly as possible. With the last relocation to Naperville, Martine was happy to be able to settle down for the long-term.

Martine is survived by her son Sven (Ina Kathrin Hilgers) and daughter Annick (M. Slade O'Keefe), and four beloved grandchildren (Mika, Leon, Amelie, and Finnegan). She is also survived by her sister Francine, and brother Roland and beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Frank (2021).

A memorial visitation will be Thursday, February 12, 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon (CST) at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville.

A Celebration of Martine's life will follow at 12:00 Noon (CST) / 19:00 (CET) at the funeral home and via livestream.

In lieu of flowers, please consider an In Memoriam donation to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly The Rehab Institute of Chicago).

In the event of technical difficulties during the live-stream a recording of the service will be made available after.