Mary Essling

Mary Essling (aka Mary Kate, or Mame to immediate family), 68, of Aurora (formerly of St. Charles) passed away Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at Mercy Center Hospital in Aurora with her loving family by her side. She was born September 13, 1953 in St. Charles to Walter and Mary (Bell) Foulkes.

Mary grew up in St. Charles and worked at Essex Hardware and Hines Lumber Company. In the 1970s, Mary began working at Tri-Com as a 911 dispatcher for Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles police and fire. After Tri-Com, Mary worked in Aurora as a contractor that trained air traffic controllers for the Midwest. In 1992, Mary became a mother to baby girl Samantha Jo and in 1994 had another daughter, Nicole Lee. Mary was a stay-at-home mother and the most fun room-mom at their school. She helped throw class parties, coordinated creative crafts, planned activities for Brownies and Girl Scouts, and supervised countless class field trips. In 2008, Mary returned to the workforce at the Aurora Public Library in the Bookmobile department. There, she created book-themed programs for children and nursing home seniors. After retiring from the Bookmobile in 2019, she continued to work for the Montgomery Public Library in the children’s department, where she put her sweet and silly side to great use in the form of children’s activities and crafts.

Mary loves laughing, reading, going for walks, fall colors and weather, decorating her home, the Cubs, giving thoughtful gifts, donating to those in need, and most of all her children. She is known for her big, bright smile and her gentle and loving spirit.

She is survived by her two daughters Samantha Essling (partner Chris Walsh) and Nicole (Jonathan) Zeivel; her siblings, Kathleen (the late Gerald) Mertes, Charles (Janet) Foulkes, Michael (Kathleen) Foulkes, and Sheila (life-long friend Gail Fritz) Foulkes; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her brothers William and John Foulkes.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Thursday, November 18, 2021, at Moss-Norris Funeral Home, 100 South Third Street St. Charles, IL. All visitors are welcome to stay for the memorial service, which will be held at 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.