Diane McGowan Obituary
Devoted daughter of the late Fred A. and Lucille Hertwig (nee Henry). Beloved mother of William (Leslie), Denise (Ed Tracy), Brian (Nance), Sean (Janet Riley), Kevin (Wendy) and Dan (Kelly). Cherished grandmother of Billy (Betty), Laura, Rene, the late Christian, Brian, Kylie, Bridget, Margaret, Sean Patrick, Meghan, Michael, Ryan, Rachel and Dani.
Great grandmother to Charlotte and Liam. Devoted baby sister of Mary Lu Richardson (the late Robert) and Carol O'Brien (the late Bernard) who with Diane were "The Hertwig Girls". A favorite of many nieces and nephews. Finding herself an unexpected single working mother – before it was considered "acceptable" – she held positions with The Illinois Secretary of State's Office, The Illinois Attorney's Office and Cook County Circuit Court.
Yet she could still be found cheering on her children from the sidelines of a game or creating one of her signature dishes including Chicken Cacciatore served at a dining room table with a special "trick" chair. But once her children were raised she considered her kitchen "For Display Only". Her smile was ever-present on her life's adventures that took her from a fairy tale childhood at The Georgian Hotel to three different homes in Sauganash to Lake Forest (on the North Shore) and finally home to Evanston and The Mather.
Stops along the way included Nippersink, Paw Paw Lake, cherished annual Christmas visits to St. Louis, Mexico, Wyoming, Italy, Paris, a visit to her father's birthplace in Germany and many points in between. She loved geraniums, peanut butter cookies (without the nuts), browsing for the perfect gift, beautifully wrapping those carefully selected gifts, writing a perfect thank you note or greeting card, "her" shows on tv, long phone conversations with her sisters, the song Edelweiss and, most of all, archiving the lives of the people she loved in her impressive collection of photos albums.
Her children are grateful to all who walked with her on her final journey especially the medical professionals and compassionate hospice team at Evanston Hospital. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations made in her name to the Loyola Academy Scholarship Fund http://www.goramblers.org or the Regina Dominican Scholarship Fund https://rdhs.org to acknowledge the generosity and opportunities afforded to us and to pay it forward.
