Meridel A. Wesely

Meridel A. Wesely, nee Berola; age 79; beloved wife of the late Dr. Marvin L. Wesely; loving mother of Jennifer K. (Kevin Ingwersen) Wesely and Pamela M. (Matthew Arnold) Wesely; cherished grandmother of Fiona and Malcolm Arnold; treasured sister of Barbara (Robert) Swan and Carol Cercone; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews; and dear friend to many.
Visitation Thursday, May 16th, 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Sullivan Funeral Home, 60 South Grant Street, Hinsdale, IL.
Family and friends to meet Friday, May 17 for a 10:00 AM Funeral Mass at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 306 West Fourth Street, Hinsdale, IL. Interment Bronswood Cemetery, Oak Brook, IL.
Meridel Wesely, our strong, smart, loving, and energy-filled sparkle of a mom, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away on May 10 after a brief illness.
Meridel was born Meridel Ann Berola on October 16, 1944, in Sewickley, Pennsylvania to John and Mary Berola. She was a descendent of Italian immigrants, some of whom had arrived in the United States via Ellis Island in the early 1900s. Her maternal grandfather and many other relatives made their living as coal miners. Meridel was soon joined by two sisters, Barbara and Carol, who remained her lifelong friends and partners in adventure. Meridel had a natural talent for dancing from a young age, and she was bright and studious, graduating as valedictorian of Moon Township High School.
Meridel then attended Bucknell University as a first-generation student, where she majored in Education, sang in the choir, and was a sister in Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She was always proud of her affiliation with Bucknell. After graduating, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she earned her MS from the University of Wisconsin in Educational Psychology.
She met her husband, Marv Wesely, in a dining hall at the University of Wisconsin, by intentionally leaving her ID face-up on her lunch tray so that he could see her name. They married in 1968, then moved to Aberdeen, Maryland, where their daughter Jennifer was born. In 1973, they moved to Hinsdale, Illinois, where their second daughter, Pamela, made them a family of four. Meridel lived in Hinsdale for the rest of her life, watching it transform and grow over the next 50 years.
Meridel worked in Hinsdale District 181 for 32 years as a school psychologist and coordinator of special education. During this time, she served and cared for the children and families of Hinsdale, particularly the students with severe disabilities. She was a gifted administrator who supported teachers and schools across the district throughout her career, and she made cherished friends during that time. In later years, she wrote parody tribute songs for district retirees, performing them at the retirement luncheon with a small group of colleagues. When she retired in 2006, she wrote her own song and performed it while accompanying herself on the ukulele.
Meridel was a loving, supportive, and generous mother to her two daughters. When they were young, she consistently encouraged them to excel in their studies. As they got older, she helped to guide them through careers and family lives. She was so proud of her girls, and she was always their biggest fan. She gladly provided a comforting and grounding presence or sounding board to them whenever needed. Meridel was a North Star and best friend to Jennifer, and a constant advisor to Pamela in parenting and living as a working mother. She said the rosary and prayed for her family every day. As the years progressed, Meridel's family grew, adding two sons-in-law, Kevin Ingwersen (husband to Jennifer) and Matthew Arnold (husband to Pamela), and two grandchildren, Fiona and Malcolm Arnold. Her deep affection for her daughters extended easily to include newer members of the family.
When Marv passed away in 2003 at the age of 58, Meridel chose to live bravely and joyously with her grief, and she worked to carve a path forward. After her retirement, she found new friendship and companionship; she sang, she danced, she traveled, she played golf, she walked, and she enjoyed every minute of it. She found true and lasting friends among her golf buddies, her widow and widowers' groups, her fellow choral performers, her church (St. Isaac's), and especially her large, close-knit community of dancers across the Chicagoland area. She was an expert line dancing instructor and flash mob participant who attracted everyone's eye as she boogied energetically and gracefully around the dance floor.
Meridel was an enthusiastic and ever-positive participant in life, she was always a good sport, and she happily joined in almost any adventure with her family, walking miles through Disney World and across Paris, climbing on bleachers, across fields and beaches, onto paddle boats, and up hiking trails. Meridel's grandchildren were delighted by the fact that they could reference any popular song from the last century and she would immediately start to sing it, usually with dance moves. She was a sleeper agent when playing board or card games, often feigning indifference or confusion until she swept in and won it all. She couldn't walk by a puzzle without fitting in a few pieces, and she couldn't pass the box of fudge without having just one more taste.
We now grieve deeply for Meridel, and we remember one of her favorite quotes: "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain." So, from within the pain and sorrow of her loss, we celebrate the legacy of love that remains.
For information 630-323-0275 or www.sullivanfuneralhomehinsdale.com.