Penelope "Penny" Nichols Aronson, of Forest Park, IL, 83, passed away on Friday, June 23, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of wisdom and wonderful memories for her two daughters, Erica Aronson (Forest Park, IL) and Jennifer Aronson Lescohier (Fort Atkinson, WI).

Prior to her passing, she had struggled for the past several months with the worsening effects of congestive heart failure. Despite the challenges of her illness, she was active until the end, and was able to make the trip into Wisconsin to attend her youngest granddaughter's high school graduation party just one week before she died.

Preceded in death by her husband, Alton G. Aronson, Penny left behind her two daughters and two granddaughters: Katherine "Katie" Lescohier, 21, and Lauren Lescohier, 18. They were her pride and joy and in turn, they loved and admired their grandma for all of her enthusiastic support of all they did and dreamed of, her frank brand of humor and her fun-loving style.

Born on March 3, 1940 in Casper, WY to Roland K. Nichols and Kathryn Stitt Nichols, Penny was raised in Westchester, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. She attended Woodbury College in Burbank, receiving a degree in business administration in 1960.

After graduating, she was employed with United Airlines, where she met her would-be husband, Al Aronson. Theirs is an interesting love story... she was hired as Al's secretary and makes no secret of the fact that upon meeting him, she did not like him. Eight months later, however, the two eloped to Las Vegas on Dec. 22, 1962, and then moved to Chicago, where Al was transferred.

There was a significant age difference, as Al was a mature 41 when they married. Divorced and with two children from a previous marriage, Al gifted Penny with the friendship of two adult stepsons, Jeff Aronson (Tucson, AZ) and Lee Aronson (Portland, OR).

The couple enjoyed several years living the glamorous life on the north side of Chicago before relocating to Oak Park, IL to raise a family of their own.

It was there that Al passed away in 1992, at the age of 71, after a household accident and resulting lingering illness. He was the love of Penny's life.

Despite being widowed at a relatively young age, Penny continued enjoying her passions. She loved delicious food, whether she cooked it herself or while savoring a fine restaurant experience. She enjoyed good books, and never tired of sunny days and trees budding in the spring. Her greatest joy was simply spending time with her daughters and granddaughters.

She also loved her work. After taking a break from her career to be a stay-at-home mom to Erica and Jenny, Penny eventually returned to the workplace when they were teenagers. She spent the last two decades of her career with S&S Hinge Co., a family-owned manufacturer located in Bloomingdale, IL. Her numerous work friends were like a second family to her and she had many fond memories of her co-workers and the Stevenson family that owns the company.

No one was more quietly creative than Penny. She made every single room she lived in beautiful and handed her aesthetic down to her daughters and granddaughters, who all appreciate her unique brand of style. She could make anything needed out of things lying within arm's reach, but she could also sew a prom dress that would beat anything any expensive dress shop could present. She was an inspiration.

While not a world traveler, Penny thoroughly enjoyed visiting sunny parts of the U.S., particularly enjoying beautiful pools and beaches. She loved watching people and relished seeing and being seen on her vacations. With this passion in mind, her family hopes to soon visit her favorite vacation spot - Hawaii - where an intimate tribute to her life will be made and where a portion of her remains will be laid to rest.

Her official final resting place is alongside her husband at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Hillside, IL.

Penny would not want there to be any sort of formal commemoration or celebration of her life, she would have found the attention embarrassing. She would much prefer for loved ones and anyone who knew her to find a way to celebrate in any way meaningful to them, for Penny believed in enjoying life for its own sake. She wanted it to be fun.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, Penny would encourage and appreciate donations to the American Heart Association.