Theresa Ann Brouwer

Theresa Ann Brouwer (née O’Sullivan) passed away in peace on May 16, 2024, surrounded by her loving family in the Mokena home that she loved so much, which was built by the hands of her husband, Conrad Brouwer, and other family members. Conrad and Theresa had been married for 51 years and lived in the home since January of 1975. The only things Theresa loved more than that home were her family and loved ones. No irony, May 16 has tremendous significance to the family given that is also the birthdate of her cherished late mother (in 1931). Theresa was born at Lewis Memorial Hospital in Chicago on October 24, 1947, the daughter of Jerome O’Sullivan and Mary Elizabeth Mikalauski (née Salmon). She later became the proud step-daughter of Charles (“Chick”) Mikalauski and Dolores O’Sullivan. Theresa had five loving siblings: Colleen (Paul) Kamer, Rosemary (Don) Baloun, the late Jerry O’Sullivan, Kevin (Laura) O’Sullivan, and Craig (Tracy) Mikalauski.

Theresa was the beloved mother of Wayne (Beth) Brouwer, Aaron (Kalah) Brouwer, and Nathan (Krista) Brouwer. She was the proud and devoted grandmother to Alex (Theresa) Brouwer, Miken Brouwer, Jessica Heim-Brouwer, and Ayla Brouwer. She was also the adoring great-grandmother of Noah Brouwer. In her later years, nothing filled her with love more than seeing videos of her family, especially of her grandchildren and great-grandchild. In her last days, she often woke up just to watch (and rewatch) “Tinybeans” and other videos of them. She was the enthusiastic aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Of all the many aspects of life, Theresa loved raising her “three boys” (along with her treasured dogs Andrew Michael and Rascal) more than anything with Conrad. She loved being a “housewife” and embraced the duty with a unique passion, serving as a “Mom” to the entire neighborhood when her children were growing up. She loved to cook and some of her favorite days of any given year occurred when she hosted large family parties for holidays. Theresa also never met a radio she did not instantly love, proving to be perhaps the most devout talk-radio listener in history. And when it came to radios: the cheaper the better.

Some of the people most dear to Theresa were her siblings and many cousins, whom she loved not just as family but as dear friends. Past trips with her sisters and cousins to the Covered Bridge Festival were some of the happiest moments of her life. While they had not happened in many years, she talked about them until her final days with an excitement that made them seem like they happened yesterday.

Until the end, her sister-in-law Tracy and her aunt Dolores Salmon (whom she called “Auntie Do-Do ((rhymes with “dough-dough”)) with utmost love and respect) were two of her best friends, with whom she would spend hours and hours on the phone “doing memories” (as Theresa called it).

Theresa was extremely proud of her Chicago-Irish heritage and loved the city in which she was born. Some of her favorite memories were taking her sons and, later, her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to “the city” to go to different museums, restaurants, and popular places. Going to Chicago with Mom or “Auntie Theresa” was a rite of passage enjoyed and fondly remembered by many in the family.

Theresa was an avid gardener in her earlier years, turning her yard into an explosion of colors, and then arduously replanting different flowers each year. She was also an avid reader, spending hours each day reading four newspapers in their entirety. After reading them, she would put a small checkmark on the front page of each section. God help the person that threw out a single section of the paper that had not been checked off. She also loved to read books about history, particularly when it was about the city of Chicago or the Kennedy family. Theresa delighted in being a wordsmith, and some of her favorite words describe her perfectly; for example, she was beloved (her favorite word of all) beyond measure, remarkably erudite despite her relative dearth of formal education, and the epochal nexus of our family.

Theresa was small in stature, but larger-than-life in composure. She could often be stubborn to the chagrin of her loved ones, but it was that same stubbornness and determination that made her the best caretaker one could ask for. Theresa, quite simply, was at her best and happiest when raising her children and, later, when serving as a caretaker for so many people, including her mother during her battle with cancer and her brother during his own health-related battle.

Most importantly, she taught us all how to love with a passion and enthusiasm seemingly unique to our family. While all of us are filled with contradictions—our mother was no different—the core of her soul was filled with love and respect for all human beings, and nothing meant more to her than making memories. In lieu of flowers or donations, please consider carrying out a random act of kindness for someone in need or donate to the Special Olympics or P.A.W.S. of Tinley Park (Illinois). A private celebration of life will be held later. Cremation rites entrusted in Vandenberg Funeral Home.

Fare thee well, Mom. We love you more than words can tell.