Teresa L. Konkowski

Visitation for Teresa Louise Konkowski, 56, of Palatine, formerly of Oak Lawn, will be held Saturday, December 14, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Service, 11:00 a.m. at the Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Highway, Palatine. A Private burial will be held at Resurrection Cemetery, Justice, Illinois. Deacon Tom Dunne will officiate.

Teresa was born March 23, 1963 in Chicago, and passed away December 8, 2019 in Barrington, Illinois.

Teresa was the dear daughter of the late Chester and Alfreda (nee Lesniak) Konkowski; beloved sister of Mary Konkowski and Michael Konkowski; loving aunt of Katrina (Josh) Buzzell; loving great aunt of Genevieve, Mary Charlotte and Fiona Buzzell.

In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to either of Teresa’s two major passions; patient advocacy/research and, of course, penguins. MPNResearchFoundation.org is dedicated to funding researchers in their quest to treat and ultimately cure blood cancers, like polycythemia vera. If you knew Teresa, you knew of her love of penguins. Seabirds.org funds penguin research in Chile.

Teresa was the third and youngest child of her warm-hearted parents, Chester and Alfreda Konkowski. She, along with her older siblings, Mary and Michael, had many adventures as a family growing up on the south side that Teresa would fondly reminisce. They camped, fished, explored Northern Wisconsin and Canada, sled down the side of the Harlem Avenue Bridge, and ice skated in a homemade ice rink in their backyard on Nordica in Garfield Ridge. She even liked looking back on the times her and siblings spent in the backseat on family outings in a red Ford station wagon affectionately dubbed “The Polish Command Car”.

Teresa graduated from Oak Lawn High School in 1981 and then joined her eldest sister, Mary, at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. She gained even more sisters after pledging Delta Zeta and cherished the time she spent there. After leaving SIU, she continued her education at Harper College in Palatine where she received an associate degree in Architectural Technology which lead her to her 20 plus year career at Underwriters Laboratories in Northbrook, IL.

Later in life she loved to travel, including a once and a lifetime trip to Australia! Her and her sister, Mary, and her (favorite) niece, Katrina, traveled the Midwest for craft fairs and food adventures and even once camping in the Rocky Mountains. Of late, she had a blast on road trips to Nashville, TN and Ashville, NC with Mary and their dear friend, Ame.

We can’t talk about Teresa without mentioning her love of crafts. Teresa was a true paper artist. If you were lucky enough to receive one of her coveted handmade cards, you know. She also loved her dogs more than anything, especially her current shadow, Marigold.

We will miss her beautiful smile, her infectious laugh, sharp wit, and kind heart. She will forever be in our hearts.

Go Bears.