Caryl W. Heinichen

Caryl W. Heinichen 84, of Park Ridge, Illinois peacefully passed away at her home on August 27, 2024.  

Caryl retired in 1994 after a long teaching and counselling career at Taft High school in Chicago il. Her love of working with kids led her into this career and even after retiring she would tell stories of her students often. This is where she met John, her close friend for many years, who stood by her side. They would often travel to Wisconsin for fests and when they were not there you would find them together watching sports of any kind at home. Caryl’s love for sports from Baseball, Football to even Golf was a passion of hers with her stating she wanted to live long enough to see the 2024 Olympics. There were very few moments in her home when there was not some sort of sport on the TV. She grew up with "the boys" and was often found out on Lake Michigan sailing with her family. Her knowledge and experiences made it possible for her to sit down with anyone she met and have conversations about anything to great length including history, astrology, geography, sports and even politics. 

She was a lover of animals, especially dogs that she always had in her life. There was one very special dog named Cinders she adopted knowing that the small puppy was handicapped and would never live a full healthy life. She treated this pup as her own child and loved her unconditionally. When she became unable to care for her dog herself, she would get visits from Tallulah, her niece’s dog that would put an instant smile on her face. Her request was to have her ashes mixed with all her dogs and spread into the wind so they could all be free and together again.

 After retiring she invested in transforming her backyard into a botanical garden, a place for plants and animals to make their homes. It was truly a magical place with paths for her young great niece to run through and look for fairies or other backyard dwellers. Caryl never had any children and treated her younger sister Lynne as her own, taking her on trips, teaching her to drive, supporting her dreams and goals, as a mother, sister and best friend. She was also a second mother to Lynne's daughter Robyn, helping to raise her and be a role model for 45 years. She was the matriarch of her family and will be missed unconditionally. 

She is survived by her loving sister Lynne Inglesby, brother-in-law Thomas Inglesby; cherished niece Robyn Avejic, great-niece Grace Regan; ex brother in-law Ned Avejic, close friends John Mullins and Annette Dluger, among others.

Arrangements entrusted to Chicagoland Cremation Options of Schiller Park, IL