Lake Forest Obituary: Flora Boemi, 101

The following obituary is courtesy of Wenban Funeral Home.

Flora Boemi, 101, died peacefully on October 5, 2015 in the presence of her family at Lake Forest Place, Lake Forest, Illinois. Beloved Mother of Marcia (Ed) Buchanan, Andrew Boemi, and Grandmother of Angela (Jeff) Smagula, Marisa (Aziz) Isham, Alicia (Jeff) Daniels, Andrew Eric Boemi and Megan Boemi. Marcia lovingly cared for her mother in the later years of her life. Flora leaves two great grandchildren in Boston, Jacob and Alec Smagula, and one pending grandchild to Marisa (Aziz) Isham . She was preceded in death by her husband, A. Andrew Boemi, her Mother and Father, Patsy and Rose DeMuro, and her brothers, Frank, Paul, Phil, and Guy. Flora was born on November 16th, 1913 in Passaic, New Jersey. She attended Fawcett Art School in Newark and prior to her marriage to Andy in 1941 worked as a professional commercial artist and photo retoucher in New York City. As a young artist in 1935 Flora attended the Lindburgh trial with her uncle as a member of the press where she sketched the defendant and the jurors.

In Washington DC during World War II as a navy wife she was active with the Red Cross, was an air raid volunteer and organized the Junior Army-Navy Guild Organization (JANGO). She was JANGO’s treasurer until the end of the war.

After the war, she and Andy settled in Chicago, raising their two children in Park Ridge. As a homemaker there she supported all her children’s social and scholastic activities. She was the Girl Scout / Brownie leader in Park Ridge for her daughter and her friend Hillary Rodham later (Clinton).
Throughout her life she was deeply committed to charities and gave generously both time and money to those she supported. She helped organize and was an officer of the Mother Cabrini Guild at St Paul of the Cross Church. Active in many Catholic charities she was a member and served as vice president of the Board of the Illinois Club for Catholic Women, was a member of the Presentation Ball Auxiliary, served on the board of Catholic Charities and in 1974 help organize and start the Willows Academy for Girls (a private Catholic girls primary and secondary school) serving on the first Board of Directors until 1982. In this capacity she chaired the first Willows Benefit in 1977 and served as Treasurer on the Benefit Committee until 1983. In 1974 Flora helped to organize and served on the Board of the Near North Side Chapter of the Chicago Lyric Opera. She served on the Board of the Chicago Drama League. Since 1981 Flora had been a member of the Board of Managers of the Service Club of Chicago, the city’s oldest completely volunteer charitable organization. She continued to serve as an Honorary Board Member of the Service Club until her death. Flora was a member of the Order of the Owl of the University Club of Chicago, a member of the Women’s Athletic Club of Chicago, and a member of the Park Ridge Country Club. She was a Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

A Wake will be held at Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Ave, Lake Forest, IL from 4pm until 8 pm on Friday, October 9, 2015. A Funeral Mass will be held at The Church of St Mary, 175 E. Illinois Rd in Lake Forest at 10 am on Saturday, October 10, 2015. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made in Flora’s name to the Near North Chapter of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Service Club of Chicago, the ICCW, or The Church of St Mary.