Helen E. Fandrei

Obituary's Biography:

Helen Elizabeth Fandrei, 79, a resident of Lincolnshire and formerly of Grayslake, IL, passed away January 28, 2025, at her home.  She was born July 23, 1945, in Beloit, WI to Paul and Gertrude (nee: Haugen) Ayres. 

Helen was born and raised in Beloit, Wisconsin, the youngest of four siblings. The family later moved to Madison, where Helen attended high school and college, graduating with a degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin. While living in Madison and working for the State of Wisconsin, Helen met Larry Fandrei, a student in Landscape Architecture.  Though he was late for their first date, she decided he was worth waiting for.  They married in June of 1970 and remained a happy couple for over 40 years.

Helen and Larry moved to Illinois where Larry continued to work in landscaping, first for other companies and later for his own firm. Helen worked first for a sewing machine store, then would later own and run a plant store, work for a bookstore, and eventually find her home as an office manager at Mark Vend Company, where she worked for over 30 years.

During this time Helen and Larry raised two daughters, Deborah and Andrea. She passed on her love of sewing, making them elaborate Halloween costumes. She shared her love of reading, showing them that words were a way to different worlds, as well as a way to understand the world around them.

Helen was always ready to try new food, see new places, and meet new people. She believed everyone could and should keep learning throughout their life, and she exemplified this to her daughters and grandchildren every day.

Helen is survived by her daughters Deborah Fandrei of Arlington Heights, IL and Andrea (Jon) Lin of Virginia, her grandchildren Cora Lin and Kyle Lin of Virginia, and her sisters Katherine (Norman) Gharrity of Ohio and Sue Rosa of Wisconsin.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Loren Fandrei, her brother David Ayres, and her brother-in-law Mark Rosa.

A Celebration of Life Open House is scheduled at Helen’s home for Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 12 Wimbledon Ct., Lincolnshire, IL from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity Lake County or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.   All funeral arrangements were entrusted to Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium 410 E. Belvidere Rd. Grayslake, IL 60030.  For more information log on to www.strangfuneral.org or contact (847)223-8122.