Marilyn Sue Sabella

Marilyn Sue Sabella (nee Detweiler), age 78, passed away peacefully on May 20th, 2025 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was the beloved mother to her daughters, Susan (Jason) Kling and Elizabeth (Michael) Patti, and the treasured “Mimi” to her grandchildren, Jessica, Charlie, Griffen, Hudson, Makenna and Brooklyn. She is preceded in death by her husband, Michael and her parents, John and Lillian.

Born on September 25th, 1946 in Clinton, Missouri, Marilyn Sue grew up with her parents regularly dreaming of leaving her small town and traveling the world. She attended Central Missouri State University where she met the love of her life, Mike. She would say that it was Mike’s outgoing personality that drew him to her along with a sense of adventure they both shared. They got married in August of 1967 and bought their first house on Kensington Avenue in La Grange Park, Illinois intending to stay for only five years. 54 years later, it was at the very same house on the porch that Mike and Marilyn said their parting words to one another.

Marilyn was “incredibly organized and good with numbers” so she had various jobs throughout her lifetime that centered around bookkeeping and payroll including her last and most enjoyable role at Palmer Place. While she would tell you that her family was the most important to her, her female friendships were a very close second. When her daughters were younger, she and Mike would often vacation with other families. When the girls got older, they bought their beloved lake house on Lake Ripley in Wisconsin and spent a lot of time there with old friends and making new ones. Late in life, Mare (as she was known by her friends and family) described Lake Ripley as her “happy place” and would spend any time up there that she could.

While Mare has said that she led an “ordinary life”, she herself was anything but ordinary. She’ll be remembered for her warmth, kindness and an infectious laugh that was often heard over the hum of a crowded room drawing smiles from strangers. It was easy to share her delight when something “tickled” her as she would say. She loved collecting anything related to rabbits, American flags and Santa. She also loved playing golf, antiquing, gardening, reading, doing puzzles and going to watch the Cubs and White Sox play ball. While she would say that she didn’t enjoy cooking, she was quite skilled at supplying her lake house guests with unending spreads in her kitchen, party room or out on the boat.

Marilyn was easy to be around, easy to talk to and easy to love. She absolutely relished Christmas and hopefully her grandchildren will long remember how special she made the holiday for her family.  Marilyn felt that all a person needed to change from a mediocre mood to a good one was a great song and some dancing.  Her daughters have been delighted by the outpouring of stories about their mom and grateful for the support they have received from friends and family as she suffered from Alzheimer’s in her final years.

Visitation Wednesday, May 28, 2025 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. and Thursday, May 29, 2025 from 12:30 P.M. to time of Service 1P.M. at Hitzeman Funeral Home, Ltd. 9445 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513.

Interment Bronswood Cemetery, Oak Brook.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Marilyn’s name to either The Alzheimer’s Association (225 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603) or The American Cancer Society (1 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting us at 708-485-2000 or www.HitzemanFuneral.com.

For those of you that would like to express your condolences to the family, please click on the link below and you can leave the family a message. If you wish to send a sympathy card, please feel free to send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st Street, Brookfield, IL 60513 c/o Marilyn S. Sabella.  We will gladly forward it on to the family.