Sally Fleming Hartmann, 77, of Hinsdale died Dec. 23, a week after suffering a major stroke.
Sally was born and raised in Richmond, Ind. Always a good student, she was the valedictorian of Richmond Senior High School when she graduated in 1963. A month after graduation, she met the man who would become her husband of 58 years.
A resident of Hinsdale since 1976, Sally raised her children while she continued her education. She graduated from North Central College (summa cum laude) and earned her master's and doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. After graduation, she worked at a small HR consulting firm.
She joined Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1984, rising through the ranks over her more than 20-year career to vice president of leadership and organization development. After Sears was sold, she finished her professional career as a consultant with Vantage Leadership Consulting. Once retired, she wrote a series of more than 30 guest columns for the Hinsdalean.
In her final one, she wrote, "In a sense, the combined content of 36 articles serves as fairly comprehensive components (that is, those I was willing to share!) of my autobiography."
Always proud of her children, she particularly enjoyed the year she could say that she had a daughter at (the formerly all-male) Princeton and a son at (the formerly all-female) Vassar. She was a bright, funny, lovely person who was a wonderful friend to many but was most happy at home with her husband and dog, Charlie.
She is survived by her husband, Frederick L. Hartmann of Hinsdale; her daughter, Beth (Adam) Steele; her son, David (Magdalene Crowley) Hartmann; her brother, James (Joette) Fleming; and many other family members.
A gathering to celebrate her life is being planned for the new year.
Sullivan Funeral Home Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
