Maria A. Birkenbach

Visitation for Maria Antonietta Birkenbach, 93, of Kildeer since 1977, will be held Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 33 S. Buesching Road, Lake Zurich. An Entombment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum, Des Plaines.

Maria was born August 22, 1927 in Chicago, and passed away July 11, 2021 at home in Kildeer.

Maria grew up in Albany Park and later in the Wrightwood neighborhoods on the north side of Chicago. She graduated from Waller High School in Lincoln Park in 1946. After graduation, she held various jobs and also taught ballroom dancing at the Aragon Ballroom. She met her future husband, Eugen Birkenbach, in 1952 while he was an exchange student from Germany attending the University of Illinois. They were married in 1954 after Eugen emigrated to the United States. She returned to work in 1969 and continued working as a bookkeeper over the next 30 years. Maria enjoyed dancing, playing piano, cooking and traveling with Eugen throughout Europe and the United States.

Maria was the beloved wife of the late Eugen J. Birkenbach; loving mother of Dr. Mark (Palma Ann) Birkenbach and Paul (Marie) Birkenbach; loving grandmother of Erika, Victoria, Anna, Adam and Kathryn; loving great grandmother of Grayson and Cora Perone; dear daughter of the late James and Eleanor (nee Ferrara) Guzzardo; fond sister of the late Eleanor (nee Guzzardo) Turner, with whom she was an identical twin, and the late James Guzzardo; half-sister of the late Julia (nee Wessler) Halvey.

In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated to Camfed USA (https://camfed.org/).