Delaney Grace O’Connell, 10, passed away on Wednesday, January 3rd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, surrounded by her family. She succumbed to severe head injuries following a skiing accident. Delaney was born on December 1, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois to Brian and Dawn (Gard) O’Connell. She was in fourth grade at Cossitt Avenue Elementary School in La Grange, Illinois. She was a member of the Lyons Swim Club during the school year and the Clarendon Hills Swim Team during the summer. Delaney also practiced Jiu Jitsu and was learning to play the violin. Prior to the family moving to La Grange, she attended Audubon Elementary School in the Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago. Delaney loved books and was always reading. She also loved spending time with her family, especially her cousins and her little sister, Abby. Delaney was a talented artist from an early age. Her paintings and drawings showed talent far beyond her years. She had a fun and joyful spirit and had great fun telling jokes, singing, dancing, playing cards and doing cartwheels. Delaney also loved spending time at the family cottage in Cadillac, Michigan, where she learned to water ski, tube, catch frogs and turtles, kneeboard, fish, snow ski, and ride on snowmobiles and quads. She enjoyed time spent with her friends, sharing in her love of all things artistic and adventurous. Delaney was an excellent student who excelled in every subject. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Delaney is survived by her loving parents Brian and Dawn O’Connell and sister Abby; her grandparents Lynn and Dean Beck of Bend, Oregon, Marjorie Meyerkorth of Phoenix, Arizona, and Joseph O’Connell of Chicago, Illinois; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Delaney was preceded in death by her aunt Patricia Frawley and her grandfather Donald Gard. Visitation will be held Friday, January 6th from 3-9 p.m. and Saturday, January 7th from 9-10:30 a.m. The funeral mass is Saturday, January 7th at 10:30 a.m. All services will be held at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 5005 Wolf Road, Western Springs, IL 60558. Burial will be at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 1400 S Wolf Road, Hillside, IL 60162. The family plans to establish an art and library scholarship in Delaney’s name. Donations can be made to: The Delaney O’Connell Memorial Fund – www.delaneyoconnellmemorial.com

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