Mary Terese (Terry) Fawell 1950-2022
Mary Terese (Terry) Fawell passed away on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at the age of 72, at peace and with her son Alex and daughter-in-law Rachael.
She was gracious, vibrant, practical, and wise; a noble woman, a selfless parent, a respected lawyer, and a good person. She truly lived each moment, had a fierce devotion to her family, always showed up with a gift, and never expected anything in return.
The eldest daughter of Geraldine Vuksanovic and William Rapchak, Terry was born in Hammond, Indiana, on June 22, 1950. She grew up primarily in Whiting, Indiana, with brief sojourns in Dallas, Texas, and Cincinnati, Ohio. One of her fondest early memories was of learning to ride a horse while living in Dallas as a young girl - much to her dismay, she had to leave riding behind when the family relocated back to the Midwest.
As president of the Panhellenic Council at Michigan State University, as a DuPage County Public Defender in the early years of her law career, and as a devoted and loving mother of Alex and Lisa, Terry's indomitable spirit was evidenced throughout her life. After graduating from Michigan State with honors in 1972, she entered law school at Washington University in St. Louis. She graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1975.
After college and law school, Terry settled in Wheaton, Illinois. She began her nearly fifty-year career as an attorney at a time when women were still becoming part of the legal profession. Looking back on the beginning of her career, Terry never took issue with the male-dominated state of the profession at that time. "That was just the way things were," she said, adding that, frankly, "it helped to be a girl!"
Terry met her kindred spirit and future husband, Bruce Fawell, in the late 1970s. Bruce was a circuit judge at the time, and he went on to become the Chief Judge of DuPage County before he and Terry founded Fawell & Fawell in 1984. Their shared love of the law passed, eventually, down to their son, Alex, who has had the honor of practicing family law with his mother since 2015.
In addition to her career-from which she always said she would never retire-Terry loved spending time with her friends, her family, and her three dogs, Karma, Isla, and Wilson. Terry and Karma, a certified therapy dog, volunteered with traumatized children at Hephzibah Home in Oak Park, Illinois. Terry also became devoted to dog agility, which she practiced with her Isla. The competition and camaraderie brought Terry great joy, and she was always keen to share her progress-her successes and her failures-as she learned.
In addition to her son and daughter-in-law, Terry is survived by her sisters Barbara Anne Rapchak (Kevin Keiper) and Patty Folan (John), and her nephews Sean and Dylan. She was preceded in death by her daughter Lisa, her husband Bruce, and her parents. Visitation will be from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, 430 E Roosevelt Road, Wheaton. Mass will be said at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 11, 2022, at St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic Church, 101 W. Loop Drive, Wheaton.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to Hephzibah Home in Oak Park.
"Though I know I'll never lose affection I For people and things that went before I I know I'll often stop and think about them I In my life I love you more." (In My Life, Beatles, Rubber Soul, 1965)