Jeanne Hebeisen

On Sunday, November 13, 2022, Jeanne Hebeisen passed away suddenly at the age of 95. A proud resident of Elgin for over 60 years, her untimely passing leaves a hole in the hearts of those who knew her, but completes her longstanding mission to live out her life in her beloved Victorian-style home.

Jeanne was born on April 21, 1927 to Lee and Emily (née Johanek) Northcliffe. She earned her bachelor's degree in Math from the University of Wisconsin, a rare feat for a woman at the time and an early sign of her lifelong passion for education and equality. She married Neil Hebeisen in 1950 and raised six rambunctious children: Cheryl (Ian), Keith (Jodi), Jill, Nancy, Julie (Jay), and Brian (Elisabeth). She worked in Neil's law practice while the children were young, briefly taught math at Elgin Community College, and then had a career as a Systems Analyst at Safety-Kleen after returning to school to get her Computer Science degree. When times were lean, she took a second job at night with an answering service in order to earn supplemental income.

After retirement, Jeanne stayed busy volunteering for the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Head Start, and the YWCA, reading to children in elementary schools, gardening, creating custom cards for birthdays, and spoiling her grandchildren. Nicknamed "The Energizer Bunny" by an affectionate neighbor, she applied her boundless energy to her volunteer work, travel, reading her way through the piles of old newspapers, magazines, and books stacked around her house, and her yearly tradition of painting (and scraping and repainting) her home.

Jeanne was a huge sports fan and rarely missed a Cubs game or any of the University of Wisconsin basketball or football games. Deeply passionate about education and the arts, she regularly attended Elgin Symphony concerts, Goodman Theater productions, and Great Books discussions. When she could find the time in her busy schedule, she played the piano and encouraged all of her children to play at least one musical instrument. She could be seen regularly walking one of her dogs around the neighborhood, stopping to chat along the way with neighbors and strangers alike. Jeanne eagerly devoured the news in various formats and was an avid fan of PBS, particularly Masterpiece Theater and Mystery. Fueled by an unmatched pride in her block and the city of Elgin, she received several awards for her volunteer work over the years, and was often seated at her computer late at night diligently completing the latest AAUW newsletter or Elgin Symphony League treasurer report.

Jeanne was preceded in death by many people since she was 95 years old!  She is survived by her six children; six cherished grandchildren, David, Gregor, Melanie, Ken, Travis, Marina; two adorable great-grandchildren, Noah and Sasha; two well-loved "adopted" grandchildren, John and Matt, and their mother, Linda; numerous nieces and nephews; and her dog, Starr.

An open house will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jeanne's name to either the Elgin Symphony Orchestra or to the AAUW Jeanne Hebeisen Scholarship Fund, c/o Sandra Kaptain AAUW Treasurer, 749 Scott Drive, Elgin, IL 60123 (please write checks out to "AAUW Elgin Area Branch").

Final arrangements entrusted to Symonds-Madison Funeral Home.  For more information, call 847-741-1128 or visit www.symondsmadison.com.

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