Mary Casselberry Obituary

Casselberry, Mary F. A long time resident of Lake Forest, Illinois, died October 1, 2017 in Chicago, IL at the age of 89. She was married to James A. Casselberry (deceased) for 60 years. Mary, a graduate of DuSable High School and Northwestern University, became a certified Medical Technologist and worked at Lake Forest Hospital for 36 years. She became Chief Laboratory Technician responsible for managing all aspects of laboratory operations and established the Cytapheresis Therapy unit at the hospital, which at the time represented a milestone development in the scientific treatment of blood based illnesses and cancer; Mary was a founding member of the American Society for Apheresis. Mary, a deeply religious woman, grew up at St. Paul's Church of God in Christ in Chicago, which was led by Bishop Louis Henry Ford. As an adult, Mary was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest where she served as a Deacon, Elder and a member of the Session. An active civic and community participant, Mary held elected office in the city of Lake Forest. She was a trustee at Lake Forest College, The Ravinia Festival and the Chicago Botanic Garden. She co-founded Black Creativity at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Mary was a founding member of the North Shore Chapter of the Links, Inc., and the North Shore Chapter of Jack and Jill of America. In 2014, Mary received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Community Action Partnership of Lake County, IL for her work in establishing the Lake County Health Fair, a collaboration among the North Shore Links, Lake Forest Hospital, Great Lakes Naval Base and Head Start. Mary is survived by her children, Dr. Jeane Casselberry Stewart (Carlyle), Robin Brooks Friedman (David), James Arthur Casselberry, Jr. (Allison); siblings, Bridget Simmons, Larry Williams; grandchildren, Nara Walker Eng (Ryan), Jordan Henderson, Laura Casselberry, Naeemah Stewart, James Casselberry III, Carlyle Stewart IV; and great-grandchildren, Kai and Odin Eng. Visitation Thursday, October 12, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Ave., Lake Forest, IL. Funeral Services 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 13, 2017 at The First Presbyterian Church, 700 Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL. Burial Lake Forest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 60 East 56th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10022, in memory of Mary F. Casselberry, a proud breast cancer survivor. Info Wenban Funeral Home, (847) 234-0022 or www.wenbanfh.com