Obituaries

Local Artist Leaves Behind Stunning Murals and Long-Lasting Memories

A memorial service will be held for local artist Lillian Studniarz at 11 a.m. on July 27 at Oak Lawn Bible Church.

Lily Studniarz was an artist. Certainly, an artist in the literal sense: she painted beautiful murals, designed entire rooms of furniture and wove stories into her artwork as well as her conversations.

But Mrs. Studniarz was more than an artist by trade. She was truly an artist of life, the brushstrokes of her incredible journey touching all those she met. Mrs. Studniarz, of Burbank, passed away on July 3. She was 73. Mrs. Studniarz is survived by her two children, Joy (Pete) Donovan and John, and her two grandchildren, Joel and Abbi.

Lillian Rossin was born on June 8, 1940 in Chicago. She studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. Shortly after finishing her studies, she married Ken Studniarz, and within three years, they had a daughter, Joy, and five years later in 1968, a son, John.

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Mrs. Studniarz was a devoted mother and wife. She was always the “fun mom,” Joy, now Donovan, recalls.

“If I was playing with my girl friends and we’d have Barbies, we’d ask her to babysit for our Barbies while we went somewhere,” Donovan says, “We’d come home and they’d be in chandeliers and all over the place because they were ‘so bad’ while we were gone. She was a lot of fun.”

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Then, about 24 years ago, Ken passed away suddenly, Donovan says, and her mother had to step outside her comfort zone into something new to her: the working world. She found an opening as a designer at Homemakers Furniture in Orland Park and blossomed from there.

It was at about this time that her children say Mrs. Studniarz began to create murals. She painted several for Homemakers at first, then branched out into the private sector, creating murals for people’s homes and even the Oak Lawn Bible Church, where her memorial service will be held.

But Mrs. Studniarz’s creativity didn’t stop with her artwork.

 “One of the things that she would do every year was on Halloween, she’d dress up and scare (her grandkids),” Donovan says. “Year after year, she always would come up with something, because they would expect it, but then she would always surprise them somehow. She’s always been creative and fun.”

Ten years ago, when Mrs. Studniarz retired, she continued to travel with her family and had a strong bond with her grandkids, now both high school-aged.

“Even to the very end, my son and my mom had a special kind of little relationship the way they kind of tease each other,” Donovan says. “Even almost on her last days, they were still teasing each other.”

To an acquaintance, Mrs. Studniarz may have been reserved, but to those like her grandson who were lucky enough to know the real Lily, she was “feisty,” her daughter says. Even after she was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, her spirit persevered.

“What I did learn from her the last year is how much she loved life,” Donovan says. “Even through this horrible disease, she still found ways to love life.”

Just as her beautiful artwork survives on the walls in many homes and even houses of worship, Mrs. Studniarz’s many stories, practical jokes and positivity will live on with her family and friends for many years to come. A memorial service will be held in Mrs. Studniarz’s honor at Oak Lawn Bible Church at 11 a.m. on July 27.


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