Wilhelmina - 100

4/30/1917 - 3/13/2018

Bartlett

Wilhelmina A. “Billie” Pignotti nee Palshis 100, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away on March 13, 2018. She was born in Chicago Heights, Illinois, on April 30, 1917 where she married her high school sweetheart Dino in 1940 and raised her children, Dennis (Dorothy), Joseph (Joyce), Roseann Kowalski (James) and Mary Faulconer (James). She has 8 grandchildren: Lynann Monroe, Joel Pignotti, Dino Pignotti, Chris Kowalski, Jill Cheskes, Deann Moran, John Faulconer and Nick Faulconer and 11 great grandchildren living in Illinois, Virginia and Florida. Billie also leaves her beloved sisters-in-law Eleanor Sinopoli and Rosemary Pignotti and numerous nieces and nephews. She also lived in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida for many years where she has left behind many friends. Billie graduated from Bloom Township High School in 1935. There she was an avid athlete, playing basketball, softball and tennis. She was very active in student government and was elected as mayor of the City of Bloom during her senior year. She was also the Illinois representative to the national conference for Student Body presidents held in Denver, Colorado during that year. In Tennis, she and a friend were city doubles champions for a couple of years. Her business career was wide and varied. She worked for the Jones Community Center after her graduation from high school and kept working there as a volunteer after her children were born. She was the bookkeeper and hostess at Cipriani’s Restaurant, working with family and life-long friends. She then went to Heritage Olympia Bank in the new accounts and loan department. When her youngest went away to college, she also went to college to pursue her dream of becoming a social worker. After completing the necessary courses, she went to work for Cook County and then the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services from which she retired at age 65. Her volunteer career was also long and illustrious. She was an elected member of the school board for high school district 206 (Bloom High School) for 18 years where she also served as secretary. She volunteered at the Jones Memorial Community Center, Respond Now and the Humane Society for many years and was chairman of the Bloom Township High School Hall of Fame Organizing Committee in 1975. In 2010 she was inducted into the Bloom High School Hall of Fame for her 18 years of service on the school board and her countless volunteer hours to Bloom and to many community organizations. Visitation at St Agnes Catholic Church, 1501 Chicago Rd., Chicago Heights, Saturday, March 17th, from 10:00 AM until time of funeral mass at 11:00 AM. Interment Evergreen Hill Memory Gardens Cemetery, Steger. The family wishes to thank the Victory Center, Bartlett, Illinois and Journey Care Hospice, Barrington, Illinois for their comforting and loving care. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Respond Now, Journey Care Hospice, or your local Humane Society. For further service information contact Panozzo Bros. Funeral Home, Chicago Heights, 708-481-9230 or panozzobros.com