Deerfield Obituary: Maureen G. Wener

DEERFIELD, IL — A funeral service for Maureen G. Wener, of Deerfield, is planned for Tuesday in Deerfield. The 49-year-old Deerfield District 109 Board of Education member was killed Friday by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bicycle in Highland Park.

According to Wener's obituary, the service starts at noon Tuesday at Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim, 1201 Lake Cook Road. Interment will be at Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. The family will be receiving calls of condolence at the Briarwood Country Club, 355 Deerfield Road, Deerfield, following the service until 8 p.m.

“Maureen was a passionate advocate for children and made an indelible impact on our community and our board in the years she served,” Sari Montgomery, Board of Education president, said in a statement. “She will be deeply missed by all of us.”

Wener was serving her first term on the school board, elected in spring 2021. She served as the board secretary. Wener had recently assumed the role of ED-RED representative, working as the district’s voice of legislative advocacy, according to the district.

As previously reported by Patch, emergency personnel were dispatched to the intersection of Deerfield and Piccadilly roads for a report of a cyclist struck by a car, shortly after 12:30 p.m. Friday. Officials said the driver had left the scene before police or fire crews arrived, leaving the cyclist, later identified as Wener, severely injured.

Wener was taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. Preliminary results of an autopsy indicate that Wener died as a result of blunt force injuries.

RELATED: Hit-And-Run Driver Fatally Strikes School Board Member Riding Bike

Wener previously served as a Deerfield Public Library trustee from 2015 through 2021, where she was a former secretary and president.

"It was clear that every decision she made during her tenure was for the betterment of the Deerfield Public Library. She was an advocate for both the staff and the community," the library said in an email co-signed by Luisa Ellenborgen, president of the library board, and Amy Falasz-Peterson, library director.

The library also said Wener was "instrumental in the creation of our 2017-2019 Strategic Plan, which guided the growth of the Library in many capacities, including the new MakerSpace.

"Maureen wanted the library to have a space where people of all ages could come together to create and learn using new technology," the email read. "She was also a great support during the pandemic, providing wise counsel during a challenging time.

According to her obituary, Wener leaves behind her husband, Paul Rundell, son, Keegan, a number of other family members and "was a dedicated friend to many." In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her honor can be made to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation or West Deerfield Town Food Pantry.

"District 109 extends our deepest condolences to her son, husband, and extended family. Her presence will be deeply missed by the 109 community," the district said in an email to the Deerfield 109 community.

Find Wener's complete obituary here.