Obituaries

Home 9 Obituaries 9 Renee Carol Luecht

Renee Carol Luecht

December 12, 1944 - March 17, 2024

  • VISITATION
    June 21, 2024 | 1:00 - 4:30 P.M.
  • Yurs Funeral Home
    405 East Main Street
    St. Charles, Illinois
  • Memorial Service
  • June 21, 2024 | 2:30 P.M.
  • Yurs Funeral Home
    405 East Main Street
    St. Charles, Illinois
  • Burial Location
    Private

Renee Carol Luecht was born in Chicago on December 12,1944, to William Luecht and Roma Castrini Luecht. She passed away on March 17, 2024, in Aurora, lL, at the age of 79.

Renee had two siblings-Gerina was 5 years younger, and Billy Jr. was 8 years younger and developmentally handicapped. She and Gerina were best friends until Gerina’s untimely death.

Renee’s mother Roma passed away in 1964 at the age of 49, her father passed away in 1982 at the age of 66, Billy died in 1971 at the age of 21, and Gerina died in 2006 at the age of 57. This left Renee with no immediate family. Her closest relative is her cousin Dale Luecht, and over the years, Renee became an extended member of his family.

Her father William was one of the first men drafted in WWII and served for the duration of the war in the united States. During her husband’s absence, Roma lived with her parents on Ida Street in Chicago, and after his return, Roma, William, and Renee continued to live with Roma’s parents.

Renee went to a Catholic grade school near Rush Hospital through 6th grade. Then her family moved to Maywood where she attended public school. She was confirmed at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in 1958. Renee attended Walter Luther High School in Melrose Park, lL. She was active in choir and intramurals, and was President of the Pep Club.

After graduation, she worked for the Proviso Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) which was started by her father and her aunt Winnifred Luecht. A friend who was attending Daytona Beach Junior College in Florida invited her to live with her so Renee could attend junior college as well. She graduated in August,1967. She then transferred to the University of Florida at Tallahassee where she majored in math and minored in music. She was a member of the choir and continued her piano lessons and was President of the Glee Club. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education.

After college she taught 8th grade math for one year. Later while living in Evanston, she worked at New Trier High School in Wilmette in the Records Department. She had several jobs in between that were short-lived because of her epilepsy.

Renee’s epilepsy was diagnosed at age 7. As she grew older, her medication wasn’t controlling her seizures. She had a very bad accident during a seizure, and a decision was made in the mid 80’s to perform brain surgery which turned out to be very successful at controlling her seizures.

After rehabbing from the surgery, she worked at Rush Hospital in Chicago for Linnea Sabelli who was head of the Graduate Nursing Program. They became good friends, and Linnea owned a high-rise condo in downtown Chicago which she held open for a year so that Renee could move into it. So in 2006, she left Evanston and moved to Chicago across from Millennium Park. She loved living downtown where she had access to public transportation as well as many places she loved to go such as the Art Museum and many events she loved to attend such as the opera and the annual air show. She loved learning about the architecture of Chicago and knew all the buildings and streets by heart.

Renee was very friendly and was active in organizing parties and get-togethers at her condominium. She researched genealogy and put her dad and her Uncle Charles Luecht in the WWII Registry. Renee was an avid reader and especially liked to read the history of the British and Egyptian Empires. She had many interests: she made wood and cardboard geometric shapes, she collected portfolios of art work, she loved the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, she had a large stamp collection, and she delighted in attending Jimmy Buffet concerts with her sister and brother-in-law Lee Stein. She attended the Luecht family holiday celebrations and participated in the Christmas gift name draw and faithfully sent cards and presents to family members throughout the year.

Renee’s sight was affected by glaucoma in her 70’s, and she eventually became legally blind. She also had issues with her legs and was in a wheelchair the last few years. This inhibited her enjoyment of life as she could no longer read or travel around town. Her ability to remain independent was greatly diminished, and that was a struggle for her as she was always very independent and was reluctant to ask for help throughout her whole life.

She was having more serious health issues in 2023 and entered the hospital on December 11, 2023. Her condition worsened until she passed away on March 17, 2024, at the age of 79.

Renee is remembered by her brother-in-law Lee Stein and his daughter Carly, husband Dan Kowing, and their children, by her best friend Linnea Sabelli, by her cousin Dale Luecht, his wife Ronnj, and their family, and by friends she has stayed in touch with over the years. Renee was very much loved and appreciated by those who knew her and were blessed by her presence. She will be dearly missed.

Condolences


No Condolences to Show


Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *