Roberta "Bobbi" Ortegren
Rosewood Heights - Bobbi Ortegren, age 77, of Rosewood Heights, passed away at her home after a battle with cancer. Bobbi was born in Oak Park, IL, the daughter of Dr. Robert and Thelma Elwell and grew up in Oakland, IL. She cherished having been raised in such a small, close-knit community and often shared fond stories of her childhood there. Bobbi graduated from Millikin University in Decatur, IL in 1969 with a degree in History and worked as an elementary school teacher while earning a Masters Degree in Counseling from Eastern Illinois University in 1973. It was at EIU that she met her husband Al—whom she married 6 months later—and began a joyful adventure together that lasted 50 years. Bobbi worked as a teacher and a guidance counselor in Kansas and Arkansas while Al pursued a Ph.D. and after they settled in Rosewood Heights, Bobbi was hired as a counselor at Roxana High School in 1985. She was a beloved community member, always ready with a hug and a kind (and possibly sarcastic) comment to bring one joy. Bobbi's commitment to her students and colleagues was acknowledged when RHS dedicated the 1990 yearbook to her. She was an active member of the St. Paul Methodist Church in Rosewood Heights, the American Association of University Women, and Delta Theta Tau philanthropic sorority for many years, and traveled throughout the U.S. every chance she got. Bobbi never met a stranger—only people she had not yet befriended. And she could and would befriend anyone, a quality that her children found as embarrassing in their youth as they found admirable in their adulthood. She will be remembered and missed for her incredible generosity, warmth, and especially her sense of humor.
See more at: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thetelegraph/name/roberta-ortegren-obituary?id=53067575
