Mary Jane Gaulke

Mary Jane Gaulke, age 96, of Batavia, IL, passed away on Friday, October 4, 2024. 

Mary Jane was born on July 4, 1928, in Chicago, IL, the daughter of John and Charlotte (Szajkowski) Wozniak. She received a Bachelor's degree in Home Economics from Mundelein College and worked at Kraft Foods before earning a Master's degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois Chicago Circle. Following a career with the Chicago Catholic school system, Mary Jane taught students with disabilities for over 25 years in the Chicago Public schools, including starting the first rooftop garden in the Chicago Public School system at Spaulding School in 1986. She was a long-time volunteer and gardener at Su Casa, a refuge for Latin American immigrants run by Catholic brothers. Mary Jane was a Master Gardener and an avid bridge player at St. John Fisher Parish. A lifelong Catholic, she was a strong, hard-working and giving woman, including caring for her parents for many years as they aged in place.

In retirement, Mary Jane lived in Biloxi, MS, where she volunteered for many years with St. Vincent DePaul at Our Lady of Fatima Parish and with blood drives for the American Red Cross. She loved living in Biloxi and fed turtles in her backyard.

Mary Jane lived long and large and was beloved in all the neighborhoods that she lived in. She loved to travel nationally and internationally, making friends on every trip. At the Covenant Town Center, she will be remembered for bringing politics, booze, and R-rated movies to the community.  

She is survived by her brother Tom Wozniak, her daughter, Mary Clare, and her three sons: Richard Gaulke, John (Liz) Gaulke, and Peter (Jody) Gaulke. Mary Jane is also survived by her six grandchildren: Megan Gaulke, Haley (Kyle) Milnamow, Kyle Gaulke, Kevin (Sam) Dwyer, Ellen (Jason) Bellmore, and Sarah (Austin) Gaulke, as well as her great-grandchildren: Grace and James Bellmore.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Charlotte (Szajkowski) Wozniak, her brother John Wozniak, and her daughter-in-law, Lisa McCrimmon.

A private family remembrance will be held, and her ashes will be placed in Biloxi, a place that she loved. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rush University Memory and Aging Project (https://aging.rush.edu/donate/) or St Vincent De Paul at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Biloxi, MS (https://www.svdpbiloxi.org/).

Arrangements handled by Malone Funeral Home Geneva.

Information 630-232-8233 or visit malonefh.com