jump to navigation

In Memory of Abby-Jill — We Will Miss You March 13, 2008

Posted by Steve in : Chicago, Family, Inside Park, Urban Church, Missional, DifferenceMakers, Culture and Faith , trackback

This week, Park Community Church suffered a great loss, when one of its former staff, Abby-Jill Brauhn , lost her fight with cancer and went to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning, surrounded by her family in Wisconsin. Abby-Jill was a Godly woman who loved the Lord and loved people. She made a huge impact for the Kingdom and will be greatly missed, although I know she is feeling no pain and dancing in heaven as we speak. I will miss her greatly — I loved her passion to see people come to know Jesus in a personal relationship and I appreciated her tremendous gift of leadership on the trips I went on to the orphanage in Mexico. Here is a summary (with some adds by me about my friend) of the obituary sent to the Tribune:

Abby-Jill Marie Brauhn

September 16, 1964 – March 11, 2008

Abby-Jill Brauhn, 43, died Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at the home of her sister, Deborah Geary. She was the daughter of Maggie French and the late Stephen Brauhn. Abby was blessed with an extraordinary life. She graduated from Buffalo General School of Nursing, where she began her career as a registered nurse. She later joined Parke Davis Pharmaceuticals as a sales representative. Abby’s ambition and initiative brought her to Chicago, where enjoyed a successful career as new-products sales rep and then regional manager.

In 1995, Abby went on a short term mission trip to the FFHM orphanage that Park supports in the Baja of Mexico, and there her life chcanged and it would never be the same. She experienced a great renewal of her faith, and when she heard a higher calling in 1998, Abby went to work for Park Community Church in Chicago as the Director of Extension Ministries. Here she founded and grew Park’s annual Park Service Day ( now called For One Chicago), which engaged more than 900 Park Church members to serve the Chicago community for a day. She was a pivotal member of Park’s short term mission trips called Vacation with a Purpose, which led mission trips to orphanages in Mexico operated by Foundation for His Ministry and other places around the world. She always had a vision that she would create an orphanage, so when the opportunity came, Abby’s faith took her to California. In October 2004, she left Park to become a senior leader at Charla Pereault’s right hand side at FFHM in Oxnard California.

Abby lived a life that was full of joy, love, and devotion to her family, friends, and God. An avid reader and traveler, she embarked on many voyages around the world. She had a wonderful ability to touch all that she came in contact with. A diagnosis of terminal cancer brought her back to the Midwest, where she lived with her sister, Debbie, and her family. With faith and courage, Abby endured cancer treatment for two and a half years.

Abby-Jill is survived by her mother, Maggie, her sister Debbie, brother-in-law Brian Geary, brother Robert Brauhn, brother Adam Brauhn, sister-in-law Tasha, nieces Molly, Maggie, Katherine, and Grace, and nephews Christopher and Nicholas. Abby was preceded in death by her father, Stephen.

================================================

A funeral service will be held at St. Anthony on the Lake, N2101 Hwy. SS Pewaukee Wis., on Friday, March 11, at 4:00 p.m.

“A Chicago memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 15th, at 1:00 p.m. at the GERMANIA PLACE BALLROOM (please note location has been changed).

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, 877.465.6636, or Heartland Hospice, 13255 W. Bluemound Road Suite 100, Brookfield, Wis. 53005.

Cesarz Charapata & Zinnecker is serving the family. For more information, please call the funeral home at 262.542.6609.

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments»

1. Judy Gehrels - March 13, 2008

My teammate (dear friend w/ Abby-Jill & family) and I walked with this angel and her team during last year’s Chicago Breast Cancer 3-Day. She’d just had her lungs drained 2 weeks earlier & chemo 5 days earlier. Walking 17.2 miles Friday, 7 miles Sat and 18 miles Sunday - we watched her beautiful Tiara-wearing, SUNTANNED self (did NOT want to look like “cancer”) brave the heat and the miles to walk VICTORIOUSLY through the finish line all the way up to SURVIVOR circle where she participated in Closing Ceremonies.

During those 3 days Abby-Jill’s infectious joy and zest for LIFE! permeated all who came in contact with her. SHE encouraged US! SHE inspired US! She will be forever missed… she is why we walk, we raise funds for research and we fight for the cure…

Thank you for honoring her in this manner…

2. Cubicle Congregation - March 13, 2008

Steve, thanks for sharing this. Boy, it’s difficult to express how much of a loss this is for us who knew her and the community at large. It’s cliche to say (but very true nonetheless), I consider myself blessed to have known her.

In Christ,

Ryan

3. AnnMarie Andros-Serrano - April 2, 2008

She was such a fighter…. such a source of inspiration…
She touched so many hearts…and reached so many …spreading and educating others on the topic of cancer. What an incredible girl!

I met Abby-Jill at the Chicago Breast Cancer 3Day. She was my hero!
~AnnMarie Andros-Serrano

I will be walking again this year w/ Abby-Jill in my heart each and every step along my journey

Team: Warriors in Pink
www.the3day.org