Leanne M. Wruck
March 9, 1967- July 26, 2024
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. My dad read this with me when my grandfather passed away years ago, and it feels appropriate today. It is with a heavy and broken hearts that we must finally come to terms with life lately and share the worst news ever. The passing of Leanne M. Wruck. My best friend, our beloved sister, favorite aunt, daughter, cousin, friend, coworker. We are shocked, stunned, devastated, sick, broken hearted at the loss of Leanne suddenly and unexpectedly in her sleep this Friday morning. Leanne was my rock and our rock. After the passing of our father almost 8 years ago, she quietly stepped up and took the family reigns. What’s the saying?? I’m the oldest child so I make the rules, I’m the MIDDLE child and I’m the reason for the rules, and I’m the youngest child and the rules don’t apply to me. While mine and Yvonne’s are mostly accurate, Leanne’s truly isn’t. She never actually ‘liked’ her shirt. We ALWAYS teased each other about this, and we always tell mom ‘We are the favorite.’ Being the middle child is ‘good’ and ‘bad’. I think she’d tell you she actually loved it 99% of the time. She was the PEACEKEEPER, the mild mannered, unexcitable, assuring, fun loving and comical, loved a good joke, and was an even keeled problem solver. She grounded us. We love her with all our hearts. Normally when I ‘write’ things, she’s, my editor. (Which usually meant I didn’t do great, and she made things sound better.) Sadly, you’ll have to, if you choose, stay with my long winded ‘eulogy’. There’s so much to say, I don’t even know how to begin. She was our ‘help mate’ with projects. She was the family pillar to bring us together. We’ve had SO many laughs, good hard belly laughs over the years. We’ve created so many memories it would take a book or ten to write them all. Erik, Alicia and Emily are obviously grief stricken. This tragedy again brings us closer together than ever. There is now one less person to sit at the table to eat, chat and laugh with. HOW will we carry on??? It’s already quieter and it is NOT the same. We’re shattered. Leanne was sure to attend as many school events for the kids as they have navigated cheer, band, theater etc. To the day she died, she was Erik’s everything in more ways than I have vernacular for. Then mom. She was there for mom when dad was home in hospice, working and ‘keeping peace’. She was able to work from home there, PTL. She was also there for mom when she fell and broke a bone and was finishing her chemo. I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about her ‘covid cat’. We had taken in a rescue cat and decided she needed a buddy. A friend’s cat would have kittens and we said we’d take one. We brought home a lovely, adorable gray and white kitten with an ATTITUDE from day one! We happened to get her about the time people were being called to stay home and work. She and Maizey were home all day every day for months. I hope Leanne realizes how many lives she has touched beyond her family. The accolades are impressive, kind and loving. She was supportive, generous, a go getter, hardworking, dedicated, loyal, willing to learn, willing to teach, willing to help, willing to listen, was able to give incredible wisdom. You all touch our hearts and share what we already know, but it’s wonderful to know that you all know this too. It’s clear she loved her family, her home, her cat, life, Disney, her job, her coworkers. She just told Alicia she was the luckiest woman on the planet and that ‘if she died tomorrow’ (who knew it’d be 3 days later?) She had a GREAT life and wouldn’t change a thing!!! She lived large. She liked nice things, and she adored her home. She LOVED learning and she genuinely enjoyed her job. She said it was the best job she ever had! She has left the largest hole in all our hearts. I don’t know how we’ll function without her!! We’re so sad and grief stricken I can’t explain. We were blessed by her in countless ways. She’s not replaceable. She has garnered the love and respect of so many people. I don’t know how many people it will take to do the job(s) she did. I don’t think anyone should HAVE to work that hard honestly, but she did because that’s how she was raised. People saw that and truly honored and loved her while she led the way. She was humble and graceful. She took care of what needed to be done and again, did things ‘her way’ and really was kind to everyone she encountered. Leanne was highly intelligent. She left Sandwich High School where she was an ‘accomplished musician’. She aspired to play for a major orchestra someday. She had a natural talent for the clarinet, to which she later switched her major and added a year. Upon graduating from WIU she went to FL, found jobs, but not in her field. When Erik was born, she returned to stay in her hometown. She worked again for Hallmark where she started working in HS. Her mentor Lynn really showed her the ropes and she gleaned valuable information from her. She ended up managing 3 stores in the Chicago area. The corporate Hallmark asked her if she’d like to travel and go into Hallmark to install the new POS registers and train staff. She loved that job and training. This led her to get her Masters in IT. She then took a job at an online college which changed names countless times surviving every consolidation until they closed the doors. While she was at this institution, she went up the ranks and was highly regarded. They encouraged her education, and she went on to get her PhD. It took a while, but she graduated with a PhD in Philosophy Education. She is published!! As humble as she is, she took considerable pride in this achievement and the entire family went to MN to watch her walk across the stage. We were all so proud of her accomplishments. Her next and ‘final’ job she was recommended by one of her previous coworkers to take a position at another college where she again, worked up the ladder a bit. She was working as a CAO and simultaneously asked to be interim president of a college in Pasadena. This had her traveling each weekend as she insisted on being home. Her biggest accomplishment there was securing a 10-year accreditation. This is unprecedented on most occasions, and she got the news when we were at the Athenaeum. Her grin was on her face when she passed. This was remarkable and speaks to her tenement and ability as a leader of a great team to add this accolade to her accomplishments. I’m so grateful she got this news before she passed away as this was, I think, one of her happiest moments and a great relief. She has many awards I can’t name. She was accomplished and smart. Her work and stress paid off to a point. She can now rest in life eternal. Her only other ‘claim to fame’ that I recall, was being on the same plane with Bob Newhart. I know if you knew her, you likely have fond memories and know that she loved you and again, enjoyed her life. She had a heart of gold. I could just keep writing but I think this is quite enough. Thanks for being her friend or coworker. Her college friends reminded me that at the end of each football game they met at the front of the stadium and played: “You’ll never walk alone”. It was a lovely rendition. She surely didn’t walk alone on earth and as she has shifted to the heavenly kingdom, she again, is not walking alone. She has left her footprint on so many hearts and we have been blessed beyond words by her presence and the gift of being here. I trust she was ushered into Gods presence early Friday morning and is joined by our father, Verne, Vernice (our sister who passed at birth), grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and ALL our pets. I know we’ll be ‘Wruck strong’ and with God, family, friends and prayer, we’ll persevere. Leanne was on this earth for just over 57 years and touched more lives than she or we know. I pray her legacy will live on in us and we will make her proud while we continue to strive to be the best we can and not give up. She leaves behind: her mother, Darlene (Tuftee) Wruck; her sisters, Jeanene and Yvonne; her favorite nephew, Erik; her amazing nieces, Alicia and Emily; special cousin, Susie; she also leaves behind her beloved cat, Maizey and the other cat, Heidi. She was preceded in death by her father, Verne E Wruck, her Grandparents, Joseph and Dorothy Tuftee and Eloise and Eldon Wruck, a baby sister at birth, Vernice and many cousins, aunts and uncles. Her favorite cat as a kid: Cookie and many other cats over the years. Leanne is not one to call attention to herself and wouldn’t like a big event. We are having a CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE this Friday August 2, 2024, from 5-7 pm at Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk, IL. There will be a small service after the visitation. Burial will be private and held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to “Jeanene for the benefit of Erik, Alicia and Emily.” She always took care of them, and she would love nothing more than to support her ‘kids’ one last time. It will be her last gift and fulfill her loving legacy. Our thanks to Sandwich EMS and PD. Our thanks to all our friends who showed up to pray with us, sit with us, comfort us and who continue to check in. We still can’t believe this is real. We want to turn back time and make this go away. We do not know what we’ll do without her. She was a gem and not replaceable. For more information or to sign the online guestbook please visit www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com
Turner-Eighner Funeral Home
13160 W. Rt 34 ~ PO Box 404
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-2363
March 9, 1967- July 26, 2024
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. My dad read this with me when my grandfather passed away years ago, and it feels appropriate today. It is with a heavy and broken hearts that we must finally come to terms with life lately and share the worst news ever. The passing of Leanne M. Wruck. My best friend, our beloved sister, favorite aunt, daughter, cousin, friend, coworker. We are shocked, stunned, devastated, sick, broken hearted at the loss of Leanne suddenly and unexpectedly in her sleep this Friday morning. Leanne was my rock and our rock. After the passing of our father almost 8 years ago, she quietly stepped up and took the family reigns. What’s the saying?? I’m the oldest child so I make the rules, I’m the MIDDLE child and I’m the reason for the rules, and I’m the youngest child and the rules don’t apply to me. While mine and Yvonne’s are mostly accurate, Leanne’s truly isn’t. She never actually ‘liked’ her shirt. We ALWAYS teased each other about this, and we always tell mom ‘We are the favorite.’ Being the middle child is ‘good’ and ‘bad’. I think she’d tell you she actually loved it 99% of the time. She was the PEACEKEEPER, the mild mannered, unexcitable, assuring, fun loving and comical, loved a good joke, and was an even keeled problem solver. She grounded us. We love her with all our hearts. Normally when I ‘write’ things, she’s, my editor. (Which usually meant I didn’t do great, and she made things sound better.) Sadly, you’ll have to, if you choose, stay with my long winded ‘eulogy’. There’s so much to say, I don’t even know how to begin. She was our ‘help mate’ with projects. She was the family pillar to bring us together. We’ve had SO many laughs, good hard belly laughs over the years. We’ve created so many memories it would take a book or ten to write them all. Erik, Alicia and Emily are obviously grief stricken. This tragedy again brings us closer together than ever. There is now one less person to sit at the table to eat, chat and laugh with. HOW will we carry on??? It’s already quieter and it is NOT the same. We’re shattered. Leanne was sure to attend as many school events for the kids as they have navigated cheer, band, theater etc. To the day she died, she was Erik’s everything in more ways than I have vernacular for. Then mom. She was there for mom when dad was home in hospice, working and ‘keeping peace’. She was able to work from home there, PTL. She was also there for mom when she fell and broke a bone and was finishing her chemo. I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about her ‘covid cat’. We had taken in a rescue cat and decided she needed a buddy. A friend’s cat would have kittens and we said we’d take one. We brought home a lovely, adorable gray and white kitten with an ATTITUDE from day one! We happened to get her about the time people were being called to stay home and work. She and Maizey were home all day every day for months. I hope Leanne realizes how many lives she has touched beyond her family. The accolades are impressive, kind and loving. She was supportive, generous, a go getter, hardworking, dedicated, loyal, willing to learn, willing to teach, willing to help, willing to listen, was able to give incredible wisdom. You all touch our hearts and share what we already know, but it’s wonderful to know that you all know this too. It’s clear she loved her family, her home, her cat, life, Disney, her job, her coworkers. She just told Alicia she was the luckiest woman on the planet and that ‘if she died tomorrow’ (who knew it’d be 3 days later?) She had a GREAT life and wouldn’t change a thing!!! She lived large. She liked nice things, and she adored her home. She LOVED learning and she genuinely enjoyed her job. She said it was the best job she ever had! She has left the largest hole in all our hearts. I don’t know how we’ll function without her!! We’re so sad and grief stricken I can’t explain. We were blessed by her in countless ways. She’s not replaceable. She has garnered the love and respect of so many people. I don’t know how many people it will take to do the job(s) she did. I don’t think anyone should HAVE to work that hard honestly, but she did because that’s how she was raised. People saw that and truly honored and loved her while she led the way. She was humble and graceful. She took care of what needed to be done and again, did things ‘her way’ and really was kind to everyone she encountered. Leanne was highly intelligent. She left Sandwich High School where she was an ‘accomplished musician’. She aspired to play for a major orchestra someday. She had a natural talent for the clarinet, to which she later switched her major and added a year. Upon graduating from WIU she went to FL, found jobs, but not in her field. When Erik was born, she returned to stay in her hometown. She worked again for Hallmark where she started working in HS. Her mentor Lynn really showed her the ropes and she gleaned valuable information from her. She ended up managing 3 stores in the Chicago area. The corporate Hallmark asked her if she’d like to travel and go into Hallmark to install the new POS registers and train staff. She loved that job and training. This led her to get her Masters in IT. She then took a job at an online college which changed names countless times surviving every consolidation until they closed the doors. While she was at this institution, she went up the ranks and was highly regarded. They encouraged her education, and she went on to get her PhD. It took a while, but she graduated with a PhD in Philosophy Education. She is published!! As humble as she is, she took considerable pride in this achievement and the entire family went to MN to watch her walk across the stage. We were all so proud of her accomplishments. Her next and ‘final’ job she was recommended by one of her previous coworkers to take a position at another college where she again, worked up the ladder a bit. She was working as a CAO and simultaneously asked to be interim president of a college in Pasadena. This had her traveling each weekend as she insisted on being home. Her biggest accomplishment there was securing a 10-year accreditation. This is unprecedented on most occasions, and she got the news when we were at the Athenaeum. Her grin was on her face when she passed. This was remarkable and speaks to her tenement and ability as a leader of a great team to add this accolade to her accomplishments. I’m so grateful she got this news before she passed away as this was, I think, one of her happiest moments and a great relief. She has many awards I can’t name. She was accomplished and smart. Her work and stress paid off to a point. She can now rest in life eternal. Her only other ‘claim to fame’ that I recall, was being on the same plane with Bob Newhart. I know if you knew her, you likely have fond memories and know that she loved you and again, enjoyed her life. She had a heart of gold. I could just keep writing but I think this is quite enough. Thanks for being her friend or coworker. Her college friends reminded me that at the end of each football game they met at the front of the stadium and played: “You’ll never walk alone”. It was a lovely rendition. She surely didn’t walk alone on earth and as she has shifted to the heavenly kingdom, she again, is not walking alone. She has left her footprint on so many hearts and we have been blessed beyond words by her presence and the gift of being here. I trust she was ushered into Gods presence early Friday morning and is joined by our father, Verne, Vernice (our sister who passed at birth), grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and ALL our pets. I know we’ll be ‘Wruck strong’ and with God, family, friends and prayer, we’ll persevere. Leanne was on this earth for just over 57 years and touched more lives than she or we know. I pray her legacy will live on in us and we will make her proud while we continue to strive to be the best we can and not give up. She leaves behind: her mother, Darlene (Tuftee) Wruck; her sisters, Jeanene and Yvonne; her favorite nephew, Erik; her amazing nieces, Alicia and Emily; special cousin, Susie; she also leaves behind her beloved cat, Maizey and the other cat, Heidi. She was preceded in death by her father, Verne E Wruck, her Grandparents, Joseph and Dorothy Tuftee and Eloise and Eldon Wruck, a baby sister at birth, Vernice and many cousins, aunts and uncles. Her favorite cat as a kid: Cookie and many other cats over the years. Leanne is not one to call attention to herself and wouldn’t like a big event. We are having a CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE this Friday August 2, 2024, from 5-7 pm at Turner-Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk, IL. There will be a small service after the visitation. Burial will be private and held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to “Jeanene for the benefit of Erik, Alicia and Emily.” She always took care of them, and she would love nothing more than to support her ‘kids’ one last time. It will be her last gift and fulfill her loving legacy. Our thanks to Sandwich EMS and PD. Our thanks to all our friends who showed up to pray with us, sit with us, comfort us and who continue to check in. We still can’t believe this is real. We want to turn back time and make this go away. We do not know what we’ll do without her. She was a gem and not replaceable. For more information or to sign the online guestbook please visit www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com
Turner-Eighner Funeral Home
13160 W. Rt 34 ~ PO Box 404
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-2363
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