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Visitation:
Celebration of Life and visitation will be held on
Thursday, September 18th, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at
Blumen Gardens in Sycamore, Illinois.
Funeral home:
Finch Funeral Home - DeKalb, IL
Obituary
Maureen Harrison Looney, of Sycamore,
Illinois, was born on March 11, 1950, in Ames, Iowa.
She was the daughter of the late Philip and Ruth (Zirbel)
Harrison. Maureen died on Sunday, August 31, 2025
surrounded by her family.
Maureen grew up in Lincoln, IL with her parents and
three siblings; Tim, Terry, and Kate in the house
her father built on 21st Street. There she played
ball in the yard with her mother and siblings, swam
at the Elks Club, swung on the branches of their
willow tree, and caught crawfish and made snow caves
along Brainard’s Branch. After church each Sunday,
the Harrisons would meet at Maureen’s grandparents,
Bee and Momo’s, for a meal. Traveling to Chicago and
St. Louis with her cousins on special trips with
Aunt Dort and Uncle Emory, created special memories.
She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1968 where
she made many lifelong friends and met her future
husband, Bernie (Hop).
One evening while hanging out at the Rec in downtown
Lincoln, the song “Pretty Women” played over the
speakers. Maureen and Hop danced together and that
night they found their forever song. Maureen married
Hop Looney on June 15, 1971, in Hohenecken, Germany.
Their family grew with the additions of two
daughters, Megan and Erin. This year Maureen and Hop
celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on June
15th.
Being a mom was Maureen’s primary career which
included ensuring she attended every soccer game,
decorating Megan and Erin’s bedrooms with care, and
special birthday celebrations. Over the years,
examples of her dedication shifted to sending care
packages to Megan living overseas and annually
helping organize and decorate Erin’s Spanish
classroom.
Maureen earned her undergraduate degree in Fashion
Merchandising from Northern Illinois University in
1974. After completing her degree, she was a Buyer
for Marshall Field & Company.
Maureen worked in several retail shops including The
Wood Shoppe (Sycamore), Creatings (DeKalb) and Moxie
(DeKalb). At each shop, she made friends who shared
her passion for creative endeavors.
Maureen’s truest work came when she became a Photo
Stylist and Designer for two Country Sampler
magazines Decorate with Paint and Decorating Ideas.
Her family observed a new kind of fulfillment as she
shared her creativity in the form of styling homes,
creating home decor projects, and celebrating
Halloween with wild costumes.
Maureen’s “Lincoln” friends were her
extended family. Going on the annual Party Barge was
a highlight of each year, and more recently catching
up over Zoom lifted her spirits. She enjoyed
connecting with the “Empty Nesters,” reading,
collecting versions of the “Night Before Christmas”
books, and traveling. Maureen enjoyed exploring her
creativity with crafts including quilting,
embroidery, painting, and cross-stitch. Each spring
and summer, Maureen loved selecting flowers for her
planters and visiting Morton Arboretum. |
Family traditions are one of Maureen’s
exceptional legacies. These include singing “happy birthday
with feeling,” gifting meaningful books each Christmas, and
spending a week each summer in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.
Becoming a grandmother to Eddie and Ollie was one of her
life’s greatest joys. She loved hosting song-filled parades
around the house, creating puppet plays during COVID,
playing hide and seek, and attending the boys’ school
events, soccer, and baseball games. Maureen taught her
family the importance of love, humor, and generosity.
Maureen is survived by her beloved husband, Bernie (Hop),
her daughters Megan Looney of Chicago, and Erin Chennell
(Brian) of Elburn, IL, and her two cherished grandsons,
Eddie, and Ollie, who knew her as GMo. She is also survived
by her brothers Tim Harrison, Terry (Cari) Harrison, and her
sister, Kathleen (Peter) Kollinger, many dear cousins,
nieces, nephews, as well as great nieces and nephews.
Maureen’s Celebration of Life and visitation will be held on
Thursday, September 18th, at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore,
Illinois. The visitation will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
At 6:30, the family invites family and friends to join them
for a light supper followed by Maureen’s Celebration of
Life. The burial will be held for her family at a later
date.
Although Maureen’s physical presence may no longer grace us,
her spirit will continue to be with us and remind us that
she will always be tall, strong, and funny.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family
(Bernie Looney) and will be established at a later date.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Finch Funeral Home, 310
Oak St, DeKalb, IL 60115, 815-758-3841. |
