Lyn Fitzgerald Obituary

Fitzgerald , Lyn Corbett

Lyn Corbett Fitzgerald died suddenly at age 68 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 in the midst of her long and brave struggle against breast cancer that metastasized through her body but never broke her spirit. Lyn was the beloved wife of Mark; loving mother of Kieran and Desmond; devoted sister of Don (Nancy) Corbett and Candace Corbett; dear sister-in-law of Leo and Sue Fitzgerald, Maureen and Richie Conta, Thomas and the late Kathleen Fitzgerald, and Eileen and Jeremiah Larkin; cherished aunt of Michaelyn Corbett, Lisa Corbett and Aron (Jennifer) Corbett, Emily Blumberg, Mary Grace Fitzgerald, Tracy Conta, Abigail Larkin and Colleen Larkin; and many cousins in the Corbett, McInerny, Supak, Cosentino, McCarthy and Fitzgerald families throughout Chicagoland. Recalling Lyn, friends and family return repeatedly to the same descriptions: a force of nature, a woman with a zest for life and boundless love, an inspiration and mentor. Her ability to survive health crises that would fell the average person made her sudden passing shocking to so many, even as they recognized she was gripped by an inevitably fatal cancer. Born in Chicago, she was a proud alumna of Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Boston University where she earned her master's degree. She put her education and instinctive skills in communications to successful public relations and marketing initiatives at agencies including Edelman and Ogilvy, Adams and Rinehart, businesses including Kraft, Quaker and NEC and the non-profits Aspen Institute, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and National Safety Council. Lyn was an avid world traveler and ideal traveling companion who explored every continent except Antarctica, alighting at too many overseas destinations to enumerate. She was also a consummate foodie, who not only enjoyed finding and experiencing the fine dining restaurants Chicago offers but was sure to search out the world's most acclaimed gourmet spots from New York to Paris to Rome to Lima to Marrakesh and beyond. Lyn loved opera and was crushed that the pandemic this year forced the Lyric Opera to cancel its long-awaited performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle. She was sustained by her Catholic faith as she faced life's challenges including the maddeningly recurring attacks of cancer, beginning as a young adult with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Visitation is Thursday, Nov. 12 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes of Chicago, 6250 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. Current health guidelines limit visitation to 25 attendees at a time. Funeral services will begin with prayers at the funeral home at 9:30 Friday, Nov. 13 followed by a procession to 10 a.m. Mass at St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Church (formerly St. Tarcissus) at 6020 W. Ardmore Ave., Chicago. Because of pandemic restrictions, face masks will be required and attendance limited to 100. Burial will follow at St. Casmir Cemetery, 4401 W. 111th St., Chicago. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Chicago's classical music radio station WFMT or the Lyric Opera.

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