Wendy Levi Lienhart, 60, passed away Dec. 26, 2020, at home in Clarendon Hills, surrounded by her loving family after a six-year battle with cancer.
Born and raised in Evansville, Ind., Wendy attended William Henry Harrison High School where she was an avid tennis player and golf enthusiast. Proudly following in her mother Ruth's footsteps, she went on to study at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., where she wrote for the Purdue Exponent and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1982. After many happy years as a Boilermaker, Wendy immediately applied her studies in broadcast journalism by becoming a beat reporter and evening news anchor at WQOW-TV in Eau Claire, Wis. Always a gifted storyteller with boundless creativity, Wendy shifted paths in 1985, moving to Chicago to begin her award-winning career in public relations. For more than seven years, Wendy led media relations for one the city's top firms, Hill & Knowlton, where she supported high-profile clients and made many lifelong friends.
It was also during that time that she met Parker Lienhart, a talented advertising creative at Leo Burnett, who shared Wendy's love of family and adventure. The couple married on Aug. 14, 1993 at the historic Intercontinental Hotel. In their early years of marriage, they lived downtown, enjoying the city's arts and culinary scene and later welcomed two sons before outgrowing their high-rise apartment. They decided to move to the western suburbs in 1999 and, living in her full purpose as a wife and mom, Wendy gave birth to their third child, a baby girl, in 2000.
Wendy's precious three children became the center of her world and she loved them "to the moon and back." Immensely proud of each of their unique talents and academic achievements, Wendy became a permanent fixture in the stands, cheering on her three kids who became accomplished competitive swimmers throughout their high school and Division 1 collegiate careers. Flawlessly juggling it all, Wendy continued her impressive 35 plus years in public relations working with several respected firms including Boom Broadcast for the past decade.
Throughout her remarkable life, Wendy explored the world with her family, always emulated style and elegance, remained vibrant and active playing tennis and golf and closely followed her favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Those who knew her well also appreciated the deep bond she shared with her parents, who moved to be closer to their daughter in 2013, residing in a coach house built just for them behind the Lienhart home. To this day, Wendy's family has a deep bond with 97-year-old Ruth.
Wendy is preceded in death by her father, Richard Levi; and her brother, Henry Levi.
She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Parker; her children, Banistre, Cooper and Peyton; her mother, Ruth Levi; her in-laws, Melinda Lienhart, James Lienhart and Carol Blomstrand; her sister Selma (Jay Klein) Levi; and her niece and nephew, Marisa and Brett Levi and Adam Klein.
Memorials may be made to Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Center of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 675 N. St. Clair St., Floor 21, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60611 or online at https://www.cancer.northwestern.edu/about/donate-volunteer.
A private family burial service was held Dec. 31 in Henderson, Ky. A virtual memorial service by Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky of Congregation Etz Chaim was held Jan. 3.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
