Helen Colnon Feeley, age 87, died peacefully on April 20, 2017 at her home in Northfield, IL. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of nearly 61 years, William O'Loane Feeley, her sisters Clara Colnon and Jane Colnon Mitchel, and her brothers John Colnon and Thomas Colnon. Loving mother of Elizabeth (Christopher) Baine, Marion (Mark) Hinken, William (Susan Malone) Feeley, Stuart (Tana Taitague) Feeley and Christopher Feeley; proud grandmother of Julia Baine (Theodore) Stem, Kevin (Sharon Ball) Baine, Michael (Kelley Burke) Baine and Emily Baine; Mark (Catherine Harnach) Hinken, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Grace Hinken; William (Rebecca Kriskey) Feeley, John, Sarah, Meghan, Grace, Stuart and Michael Feeley; Matthew and Claire Feeley; dear great grandmother of Theodore Baine Stem and Madeline Elizabeth Stem. Loving sister of her dear brother Peter A. Colnon. Helen was born in Chicago, IL, where she attended St. Philip Neri Grammar School, followed by Aquinas Dominican High School, and Rosary College. Her mother, Marion Lydon Colnon, died while Helen was young and her father, Aaron Colnon, died when she was twenty-one, leaving her as head of the household and in care of her siblings. Helen loved her work for The Chicago Tribune in the Wrigley Building. She met her husband, Bill, on a ski trip to Sun Valley. They were married shortly after that in 1954 and soon started a family, moving to Wilmette, IL. Helen was an avid tennis player. She and Bill spent many years at Exmoor Country Club, Ocean Forest Club, and Sea Island Golf Club in Sea Island, GA, where they had a second home. Helen indulged her husband's adventuresome spirit and flew often with Bill in his own aircraft. Following his retirement, Helen toured Europe on the back of Bill's motorcycle, after riding it to Canada to fly it across the pond. Helen was a parishioner at Saints, Faith Hope & Charity Parish in Winnetka and was active with a number of charitable organizations, modeling and fund-raising for Misericordia. A Family Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017, at SS. Faith, Hope & Charity Church. Please join the Feeley Family for a lunch reception at 1:30 at Skokie Country Club, 500 Washington Avenue, Glencoe, IL 60022. Kindly send any contributions, in lieu of flowers, to Catholic Charities, 721 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, IL 60654-9965. They would greatly appreciated.
Published by Chicago Tribune from Apr. 21 to Apr. 22, 2017.