Jane Pioli Whaley

Jane Esther passed away quietly on April 28, 2026, at her residence in Lake Zurich, Illinois, at the age of 98. She was born on September 24, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois, to Robert and Eleanor Thill and was the beloved granddaughter of Joseph and Josephine Damiani. Growing up in Chicago, Jane developed the strong values of family and community that she carried throughout her long life.

Jane lived a full life as a mother and wife, business owner (Suburbia Wallpaper Unlimited), interior decorator, seamstress and dress designer, dancer, cook and host, volunteer, traveler, and lifelong learner. Jane loved to explore: whether it was a new restaurant, a cultural event, or a place in the world. She traveled to every continent, seeking out the unusual and learning about each place and its culture. Her house was filled with art and crafts from each country she visited, and she always remembered the details and stories behind each piece.

Jane had artistic flair that she applied to every project she took on. She studied dress design and interior decorating and continued to use her talent to sew clothing and decorate homes for many. Once she took a class in faux painting and decorated the walls and numerous pieces of furniture for her home. Her lifelong love of dance was a passion and until her late 80’s Jane took lessons in salsa, ballroom and even the tango. Her Saturday evenings were filled with ballroom dancing and even rock and roll with her younger friends. There were many nights on dance cruises she was the last on the floor to the merriment of the dance hosts.

Throughout her life, she volunteered for organizations that improved the lives of others, from infants to AIDS patients to the elderly, and from foster children to immigrants. At 89, she trained to be a hospice worker and read and played games with people for companionship. Each Christmas, she selected a family and carefully chose presents to send to them, including essentials like clothing and something special.

On September 11, 1948, Jane married Donald D. Pioli, with whom she had four children. After their divorce, she married Thomas Patrick Whaley in 1968, who had 2 children, Michael and Laura (Amarillas). Deerfield was home and community until she and Tom retired in 1992 and then moved to Sun City, Arizona. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas, and is survived by her four children (and spouses): Charles (Barbara), Conrad (Karin), Christopher (Chelsea), and Donna (Michael); 7 grandchildren: Katherine, Hannah, Cassie, Tracey, Meghan, Isabella and Cedar; and 7 great- grandchildren: Harlowe, Liko, Emma, Sebastian, Django, Miles, Zoe.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at 10:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield, 824 Waukegan Road, Deerfield, IL 60015.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Chicago Botanical Society in her memory: make a Tribute Donation in Jane’s name to the Chicago Botanic Garden at chicagobotanic.org/tribute, or, Chicago Botanic Garden, Attn: Tributes, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe IL 60022.