Jessica Anne Leen

Jessica Anne Leen, nee Witker, age 82, of Elmhurst. Adored wife of Terence “Terry”; beloved mother of Patrick, Elizabeth (Michael) Spratley, Moira (Scott) Savel, Jennifer (Jeffrey) Mussatto, Ellen (fiancé Richard Behles) Anderson, and Michael (Jane) Leen; She will be deeply missed by her grandchildren, Megan and Hannah Leen, Jessica and Sean Spratley, Miranda Savel, Alex and Maddy Carroll, Jack and Matt Anderson and Emma, Abby and Charlie Leen; Dear sister of Judy Witker, Peter (Carolyn) Witker, Cathie (Carl) Jaffe, and Anne (Richard) Hartley; Fond sister-in-law of John (Fran) Leen and Madonna Leen. Cherished aunt of Patrick (Laura) Leen, John (Jordan) Leen, Elizabeth (Bryan) Reynolds, Steven Witker, and Blair and Brett Hartley. Jessica was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, daughter of Elizabeth and Clarence Witker. She attended St. Ursula Academy and then earned her RN at St. Vincent School of Nursing. From there, she attended St. Louis University to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, where she met Terry. After their marriage in 1959, they moved to South Bend, Indiana, where Jessica started her nursing career as a labor and delivery nurse and also worked as a clinical instructor at St. Joseph Hospital. After moving to Elmhurst and raising their six children, she returned to school to refresh her nursing skills and became one of the first hospice nurses at Hospice of DuPage, a journey which took her full circle from caring for newborns and their mothers to caring for patients at the end of their lives. Upon her retirement, she returned to working as a hospice volunteer with St. Thomas Hospice, where she was still an active volunteer until the time of her brief illness. Jessica was also a talented and enthusiastic volunteer within her community and at Visitation Parish, including member and past president of the Council of Catholic Women, bereavement minister, PADS volunteer and contributor to the casserole ministry. She and Terry taught religious education and led marriage preparation instruction. Among her many gifts, she shared her beautiful singing voice in the choir, as a worship song leader, and as a performer in the popular parish fundraiser, Far From Broadway. She and Terry co-chaired a production of Far from Broadway and Jessica also worked behind the scenes on many committees for those events. As a gifted seamstress, she not only created most of her family’s clothes, she crafted items for the Visitation Christmas Bazaar and most recently was an active member of the parish prayer quilt ministry. She was a gifted baker and cook, skills she happily passed on to all her children and grandchildren. Jessica’s loving, welcoming, energetic personality will be profoundly missed by her family and her many friends throughout the community. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart Foundation, 4045 Indian Road, Toledo, Ohio 43606, or Amita Health Adventist St. Thomas Hospice, c/o Hinsdale Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 130 Hinsdale, IL 60522-0130. Masses are appreciated. Visitation Friday, September 8, 2017, 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 pm. at Gibbons Funeral Home, 134 S. York Road, (½ mile North of Saint Charles Road), Elmhurst. Friends and family will meet for a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, September 9, 2017, 11:00 a.m. at Visitation Catholic Church, 779 South York Road, (At Madison), Elmhurst. Interment will be private. For funeral information please call 630-832-0018 or www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com