Joyce Marquardt Passes Away

Joyce Audrey Marquardt (nee Lussky), 74, of Lincolnshire, IL, passed away Aug. 8 after a long and courageous struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Joyce was born January 3, 1938 to Oliver and Thelma, growing up with older brother Donald in Aurora, IL. A gifted and eager student, Joyce was moved up a grade in elementary school before graduating from East Aurora High School and then attending Northern Illinois University on scholarship, graduating as a math education major with a minor in music. Joyce worked as a junior high school teacher after college. Once her children were grown, she went back to school, earning a Masters of Education from National Louis University, at age 60, with a 4.0 grade point average.

In 1960 she met and married Larry Marquardt, with whom she shared and enjoyed 41 wonderful years of marriage. They were blessed with 12 children, 9 children-in-law, and 32 grandchildren, with another one expected this fall. 

Joyce and Larry raised their family in Libertyville, Ill. where they were very involved in St. John’s Lutheran Church. Joyce was gifted with an incredibly beautiful singing voice and participated in several choirs from childhood on. In addition, Joyce was a dedicated pregnancy counselor and active volunteer in pro-life activities, an issue that was very important to her. From 2002 until her passing, she served as Chair of the Love of God Foundation, a charity that helps people in need with health, humanitarian, and educational assistance.

Joyce is survived by her children Valerie and Bob Hicke (Circle Pines, MN), Karl and Ilene (Leonia, NJ), Paul and Karen (Racine, WI), Kurt and Stephanie (Elgin, IL), Sharon and Robert Stanley (Naperville, IL), Daniel and Jennifer (McHenry, IL), Stephen (San Diego, CA), David (Chicago, IL), Peter and Gretchen (Lindenhurst, IL), Elizabeth and Robert Spinelli (Nashville, TN), Amy and Eric Peters (Cary, IL) and Matthew (Cary, IL), grandchildren Karina and Brett Erickson, David, Christian, Audrey, Faith, Kathryn, Thomas, Gordon, Isaiah, Anna, Hannah, John, Adam, Sterling, Clara, Andy, Mary, Noah, Joseph, Samuel, Natalia, Benjamin, Gabriel, Maddie, Abigail, Luke, Esther, Charlie, Dylan, Phineas, Mabel, and Julia, brother Donald (Westmont, IL), and half-sister Carol (Wauwatosa, WI).  She is predeceased by husband Larry (2001).

Visitation will be at Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, 120 West Park Ave., Libertyville, IL, (847) 362-3009 on Friday, August 10, from 4-9 p.m., or please sign the guestbook at http://www.burnettdane.com  Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 501 West Park Ave., Libertyville, IL on Saturday, August 11 at 10 a.m., with interment at Lakeside Cemetery in Libertyville, IL immediately following.  Please contact Valerie Hicke at (763) 807-5562 for additional information. Donations in Joyce’s honor can be made to the Love of God Foundation,1421 S. Barrington Rd., Barrington, IL 60010. 

Information provided by Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce