Margaret "Peggy" Kelly Schultz

Margaret "Peggy" Schultz, of Homewood. Peggy joined her parents, brother and fur babies in heaven on Friday, June 6 after a short illness. She was surrounded by her children and sisters in her final moments.

Peggy was born on January 14, 1963 to John Kelly and Mary (Culkeen) Kelly in Chicago. Peggy was kind, intelligent, a thoughtful listener, compassionate, witty and generous with her time. Even on her hard days, she faced every challenge thrown her way with courage and humor.

She is survived by her three children and daughter-in-law whom she loved deeply, Brad, Alex (Jenni) and Abby and her three sisters, Mary (Jack) Kelly, Kathy (John) Hillegonds and Sheila (Mike) Simnick, niece Alanna (Austin) Konieczka and nephew James (Tiffany) Simnick. Not to mention many close friends who loved her like a sister and countless others whose lives she touched.

She is preceded in death by her parents John Kelly and Mary (Culkeen) Kelly, her in-laws Douglas Schultz and Janice (Larsen) Schultz and her brother John Kelly Jr. as well as her two dogs, Ralphie and Betty.

Peggy grew up in the bustling South Shore neighborhood of Chicago and later in south suburban Riverdale. She attended St. Bride Catholic Church school and finished out her elementary education at Roosevelt Elementary School in Dolton when her family moved (Class of '77). She attended Thornton High School in Harvey (Class of '81) and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from DePaul University in 1987. Peggy and her former husband married in 1987 and eventually settled in Homewood in 1991, just in time for the birth of their eldest child, Brad.

From there, Peggy started to make a splash in Homewood, serving as a dedicated Class Mom for all her children. What started as an impassioned interest in the local school board inspired Peggy's lifelong interest in civil service.

She campaigned to become a trustee for the Village of Homewood and won the most votes of any trustee on the ballot. For four years, Peggy held her own and always spoke up even when it felt uncomfortable. She continued to quietly consult on local elections on a volunteer basis until her death. In 2020 she became involved in a nationwide volunteer project called "Postcards to Voters," encouraging citizens to vote in their local elections. At the time of her death, Peggy had worked at DePaul University as an administrative assistant in Academic Affairs for more than ten years. She was working toward a master's degree in the School of Public Service at DePaul

University. Prior to that, she worked as a realtor at Baird & Warner, helping families find their dream home in the south suburbs.

Her drive to do the right thing and speak up for people who couldn't speak for themselves extended to her final week of life, speaking up about how a hospital process wasn't patient-first.

She enjoyed spending time in nature, especially in and around the water, cooking something new, walking her beloved dogs Ralphie and Betty, and spending time with her family and many good friends. She delighted in conversation, trying new restaurants, and spending quiet mornings on her deck with a cup of coffee. Peggy took every opportunity to travel to new areas of the country, venturing from Bellingham, Washington to the Florida Keys and everywhere in-between.

Peggy's family would like to thank Dr. James Wallace, Dr. Mohammed llyas Ahmed Khan and their staff for treating Peggy with compassion and dignity throughout her most recent cancer diagnosis. They'd also like to thank many of her close friends who helped her so much in her last few months of life, including Wendy Butzbach, Annette Bannon, Nancy Kurstin, Katherine Michaels, Janine Arneburg, Sherri Smith and countless others.

Peggy's kindness, wisdom, and smile will be deeply missed.

Visitation for friends and family will be held at Tews-Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood, 18230 Dixie Hwy. on Friday, June 13 from 3 - 7:30 p.m., with a Funeral Service beginning at 7:30 p.m. A burial ceremony will follow on Saturday, June 14 at 10:15 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Cemetery 19500 So. Cottage Grove, Glenwood. Those attending arrive at the Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Cancer Support Center in Homewood, the South Suburban Humane Society in Matteson or NAWS Humane Society in Mokena.

For additional information contact tews-ryanfh.com or call 708-798-5300.