OBITUARY FROM REES FUNERAL HOME WEBSITE:
Cecelia Mary Kenney
Age 84, of Hobart, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 22, 2025, in her daughter’s home, surrounded by the love of her family.
Cecelia’s life was rooted in her deep love for God, her selflessness and her devotion to her family. Her Catholic faith guided her every day and shaped the way she cared for others—with gentleness, compassion, and an open heart. She was a longtime, faithful member of St. Bridget’s Church, where her quiet service and steady presence were a reflection of her unwavering belief.
Cecelia lived her faith through action. She volunteered for many years at St. Mary’s Hospital in Hobart, serving as a Eucharistic Minister and offering comfort, kindness, and reassurance to those in her care. She had a natural way of making people feel seen and cared for, often through simple gestures that meant more than words.
Above all else, Cecelia loved her family. She cherished time spent together and found her greatest joy in being surrounded by those she loved.
A woman of many interests and experiences, Cecelia lived an adventurous and full life. She loved to ride her bike, she was a chauffeur to celebrities, and a dedicated school bus driver for the River Forest and Hobart school systems, where she cared deeply for the children she transported each day. She also worked for many years as a trip advisor with AAA, a role she truly enjoyed because it allowed her to help others plan meaningful journeys.
Cecelia was a master gardener who found peace and happiness tending her garden and nurturing birds and butterflies. She loved crafting, especially making Christmas ornaments, and took pride in creating things that brought joy to others.
Cecelia will be remembered for her devotion to her faith and family, her generous spirit, her sense of adventure, and the quiet kindness she showed to everyone she met.
She is survived by her three sons, Shawn (Debbie) Kenney, Mike (Lisa) Kenney, and Brian (Rita) Kenney; her daughter, Tracy (Austin) Wilkins; her grandchildren, Mikey Kenney, Jessica Kenney, Conrad Prochoda, Riley (Christine) Kenney, Brienne (Connor) McKernin, Cassidy Splawn, and Lily (Nick) Konyndyk, Genavieve Kenney, Chloe Kenney, Kaitlynn Wilkins, and Taylor Wilkins; five great-grandchildren, Brynleigh, Lola, Declan, Maevelynn, and Cohen; her brother, Carl (Rosa) Fleck; her sister, Joan Fleck; sister-in-law, Phyllis Fleck; brother-in-law, Paul Schultz; and Thomas (Dena) Kenney, her former husband, the father of her children, and a cherished friend, along with many loving family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl M. Fleck and Rita (née Rearick) Fleck, sister, Carol Schultz and her brother, James Fleck.
In lieu of flowers donations in Cecelia’s memory can be made to Lake County Right to Life PO Box 9103 Highland, Indiana 46322, SMMC Auxiliary memorial scholarship fund 1500 S. Lake Park Ave. Hobart, Indiana 46342, Hobart Historical Society Museum 706 E. 4th Street Hobart, Indiana 46342, Share with the Handicapped PO Box 400 Rolling Prairie, 46371, or Sojourner Truth House 410 W 13th Ave. Gary, Indiana 46407.
A memorial visitation for Cecelia will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, from 4:00-7:00 PM at Rees Funeral Home, 600 West Old Ridge Road, Hobart, Indiana 46342. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, January 10, 2026, DIRECTLY at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church 107 Main Street, Hobart, Indiana 46342 with Rev. Dominic Bertino officiating. Burial of cremains will follow at St. Peter and Paul Cemetery 400 East 56th Ave. Merrillville, Indiana 46410. For more information please call (219) 942-2109 or online condolences can be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com
This information and the picture below were obtained from: https://www.reesfuneralhomes.com/obituary/cecelia-kenney. The picture above was obtained from the 1959 HHS Memories yearbook, made available by the Lake County Public Library, at: https://archive.org/details/HOHS1959Images/.
