Carol E. Townsend

Carol E. Townsend nee Standaert, 88, at peace April 12, 2025 in Glenview, IL.

Beloved mother of Patricia (Michael) Skiersch. Loving grandmother of Ian. Dear daughter of the late Helen nee Ryan and Jerome Standaert. Loving niece, cousin and dear friend to many.

Carol was born on September 2, 1936. She grew up splitting her time between Central Illinois and the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago. Carol attended Mercy High School. She overcame a challenging early life to work her way up from a dental assistant for a small dental practice, to the Business Administrator of the Northwestern University Dental Associates at the Northwestern University Faculty Foundation. She ran a tight ship and kept the practice in the black for the many years she ran it. 

Carol was also a devoted mother to her daughter, Patty. She imparted on her daughter a social conscience and compassion for others that Carol practiced in her own life. Likewise, Carol also shared her love of animals, music (especially Jazz), gardening, and a passion for the Chicago Cubs, with everyone. Baseball was important to her and her mother since her father played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox before she was born. Thank goodness Carol got to see the Cubs win a World Series! It is almost a certainty that she and her dad are discussing baseball by now and assessing the Cubbies’ chances in 2025.

Carol’s pride and joy was her grandson, Ian, whom she loved with all her heart. She also loved her son-in-law Michael, who could always get her to laugh, and who took great care of her as her health began to fail. Even as her memory faded, Carol’s face always lit up with a big smile when she saw Patty, Michael and Ian. It would be remiss to not also mention her beloved cats, Niles and Frasier, and her loving granddogs, Ivy, Ali, and Casey who all loved her very much. Carol will be greatly missed by all.

Memorial Visitation Saturday May 10, 2025, 9:30 a.m. until time of Mass 11:00 a.m. at St. Juliana Church 7201 N. Oketo Ave, Chicago. Interment private.

In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated to Chicago Canine Rescue, chicagocaninerescue.org Chicago's Anti-Cruelty Society anticrulty.org or your favorite animal rescue group.

Arrangements entrusted to Heneghan-Suerth Funeral and Cremation Service.

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