Kathleen McLaughlin
Kathleen McLaughlin was born June 19, 1948 near Hedrick, Iowa, to Leonard and Carol (Thomson) Messer. On 2 Mar 1969, Kathleen married Arthur Lee Lillie in Marion, Iowa, and together they had two children, Tonya and Daniel Lillie. As a mother she was loving and fiercely protective, but also encouraged her children to be adventurous and spread their wings. Kathleen had an enduring love of music and art and was proud of earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Art from Iowa State University.
After Kathleen and Arthur divorced, she later married John McLaughlin on 7 Dec 1995. John and Kathleen moved to William’s Bay, Wisconsin, where they started a home building company with Kathleen overseeing the home design, and John the construction. They built their own home together and made it a welcoming place for family and friends to gather. Kathleen McLaughlin loved family, and she loved travel. Together she and John frequently visited family in Ireland, England, Australia and many places in the States, and in return would host relatives visiting the U.S. from afar.
Kathleen McLaughlin had a kind and gentle heart, and loved spending time with her grandchildren. And she made sure to preserve and pass down family traditions with them like baking cookies for the neighbors at Christmastime. Her kindness extended well beyond family though, and she was always involved in community service through organizations like the St. Benedict’s chapter of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Lake Geneva Garden Club. One of her proudest achievements was helping to found the Open Arms Free Clinic in Elkhorn, which provides free medical care to those in need. Through these organizations, Kathleen met many of her closest friends and established deep ties to the community.
A few years after John’s death in 2016, Kathleen married Jim Nawoj in 2019. They shared a love of natural beauty and together they would visit the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville almost monthly. Jim also loved to travel, and they shared many journey’s together including to Iceland, Alaska, Spain and visits to various family old and new in the States. Love knows no bounds, and Kathleen embraced her expanded family whole-heartedly. Though they did not adventure together for as long as they had planned, their time together was precious. Kathleen McLaughlin passed away on Thursday, January 27, 2022 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Sweet mother, grandmother, and wife, we will miss you.
Kathleen Mae (Messer) McLaughlin of Williams Bay; beloved wife of Jim Nawoj; loving mother of Tonya (Mark) Lillie and Daniel (Lucy Su) Lillie; cherished grandmother to Alexander Cisek, James Cisek, and Bella Lillie; dear sister to her brother Mark (Jeanette) Messer; sister Lorraine Grace; and sister-in-law Becki Messer; as well kind aunt to many nieces and nephews.
Kathleen was preceded in death by her beloved husband John McLaughlin; dear brothers Lawrence Messer and Brent Messer; and dear brother-in-law Roy Grace.
Visitation will be held on Friday, February 4, 2022 from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Toynton’s Walworth Funeral Home, 328 Kenosha St., Walworth. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 5 at 10:30 AM at St. Benedict Catholic Church, 237 Dewey Ave., Fontana, WI.
Private burial will be at St. John the Baptist Cemetery in Winfield, Illinois.
Memorial contributions may be given to either Open Arms Free Clinic, 205 E. Commerce Court, Suite A Elkhorn, WI, United States, www.openarmsfreeclinic.org
OR to the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, ph608.314.8407, https://rotarybotanicalgardens.org/support/memorials/
For more information call Toynton Funeral Home at 262-275-2171
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