Betty J. Knowles

Betty J. Knowles, 88, of Thornton, IL, passed peacefully on Sunday, June 25, 2017. Betty was born on August 24, 1928, in Chicago, to William and Helen Egan. A math whiz, she graduated from St. Thomas the Apostle Grade and High schools and DePaul University night school. Betty was employed by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., Illinois Bell Telephone Co., and Robert Hall Village. Affectionately known as the Best Mom Ever, Betty made her family her life’s focus. Though spread out geographically, she always kept them close in her heart. Betty was a devout Catholic and a member of St. John Catholic Church in Glenwood. Betty loved to laugh and enjoyed the little things in life. She was an avid fan of Notre Dame and Chicago Bears football. Fiercely independent, she drove her car until age 87. She grew up in Chicago and married Thomas J. Knowles Sr. in 1955, when they purchased one of the first homes in a new subdivision in Thornton. They watched the subdivision grow from cornfields to a great neighborhood filled with children and made many lifelong friends. She was proud to have lived in that same home for 62 years. Betty is survived by her children: Mary O’Reilly (John) of Winter Garden, FL; Carol Knowles (Jim Bray) of Leland Grove, IL; and Thomas J. Knowles Jr. (Pam) of Weston, WI; her grandchildren, Kelly Marie O’Reilly, and Bradley, Adam (Amber) and Matthew Knowles. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, William; her husband and her daughter, Kathleen Ann. Cremation rights have been accorded. A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In honor of Mom, please call your own mother and tell her you love her; cherish your family, neighbors and friends; and share a kindness with a stranger. Offerings of mass may be made in her honor at any Catholic church or through prayer enrollment with the Cenacle Sisters of Chicago at their website: https://www.cenaclesisters.org/chicago/prayer-enrollment.