Barbara Koenig-Pfannkuche Obituary

Koenig-Pfannkuche, Barbara

Barbara Koenig-Pfannkuche, age 90, former wife of Edward L. Pfannkuche, Jr., cherished Mother of Christopher E. K. Pfannkuche (attorney), loving Sister of Richard Koenig and R. Dawn Koenig-Spychalski (Ronald), loving Aunt of Holly (Ray) and Erik (Beckie), Great Aunt of Benjamin and Zachary. Barbara loved the title "MOM" best. Barbara deeply loved her son, Christopher, and was his biggest supporter and cheerleader, and she was his most valuable "Treasure" … his whole world. Barbara was an Electrical Engineer and Certified Teacher. She was the first female Electronics Instructor for the Chicago Public Schools, where she taught Electronics for 40 years. She loved working with her students, and they called her a "Legend". She was recently inducted nationwide as Woman of the Year / Women of Power in Industry. She was listed in Strathmore's Who's Who. She helped break the glass ceiling for women, accomplishing several 1sts for women. Barbara loved to work in her garden and filled our home with plants. She loved to feed corn to the deer in her brother's yard in Tennessee and loved to put up Halloween and Christmas decorations in our front yard in Chicago. Mom loved colorful electrical lights and put them everywhere. She lit up her clothes with tiny lights. Mom was known as the "Sunshine Lady", a skit she performed on the TV show, the Gong Show. Mom saw wonder in everything and touched so many lives. Visitation Friday, January 9, 2026, from 3:00-9:00 p.m. at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Home at 6250 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Funeral services Saturday, January 10, starting with prayers at 9:15 a.m. at the funeral home, proceeding to St. Juliana Church at 7201 N. Oketo Ave., Chicago, for 10:00 a.m. Mass. A service and Interment will follow at St. Adalbert's Cemetery, 6800 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles. For more information call Colonial Funeral Home at 773-774-0366 or their website at

www.info@colonialfuneral.com.

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