Jean A. Omara, 91, died peacefully surrounded by her family on May 23, 2018. Born on May 12, 1927 to Tom and Berdena Omara at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, she was a longtime resident and a 1945 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School. She graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.
A longtime employee of Booz Allen Hamilton in Chicago, upon her retirement, she served as the associate director of the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce and then worked for Pilgrim Realty. She was committed to the Oak Park-River Forest Community, including many years of service to West Suburban Hospital and Zonta International. She was also a devoted and faithful member of Christ Episcopal Church in River Forest, as well as a member of Episcopal Church Women. Later in life, she resided at Beacon Hill Retirement Center in Lombard.
She never asked for anything but constantly gave of her time and talents. Her final gift was to donate her brain to the Rush Memory Clinic so that researchers can find cures for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Jean is survived by her nephew, Tom (Deborah) Maxwell; her great-niece, Kathleen Maxwell; her cousin, Virginia (Walter) Bell and their children and grandchildren; and Susan (Richard) Conrad. She was preceded in death by her sister, Marjorie (the late Bob) Maxwell.
Visitation was held on May 25 at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home, with the funeral service on May 26 at Christ Episcopal Church, followed by interment at Forest Home Cemetery.
The family appreciates memorials to Rush University Medical Center, Office of Philanthropy, 1201 W. Harrison St., Suite 300, Chicago 60607 (check memo: Jean A. Omara Rush Memory and Aging Project) or to Alzheimer’s Association Illinois, 8430 W. Bryn Mawr, Suite 800, Chicago 60631.
