Anna Hamm Sadowski, 96, died on May 27, 2025, surrounded by family in her Oak Park home at Brookdale Senior Living.

Anna was born in Dover, Delaware in 1928 to Henry S. Hamm and Nina Valliant Hamm. At age 9, an untreated strep infection spread to her hip and shortened her right leg. Instead of letting it cripple her, she responded to this adversity with humor and always looked on the bright side of life. As she said, she “managed to live through thick and thin and different types of shoes.”

In 1949, she married the love of her life, Raymond Sadowski. They moved to Oak Park in 1956 to raise their family. She kept up regular correspondence with friends near and far throughout her lifetime, including 50 years of her beloved “Christmas Star,” mailed to hundreds of friends and family members each year.

She loved children and—after raising four of them—earned a degree in Early Childhood Education in 1977. She taught at Pilgrim Community Preschool for 33 years, educating five of her grandkids and multiple generations of Oak Park families.

She had a lifelong passion for nature and learning, especially about trees and birds. For her, the internet was a wholesome place of bird cams and nature facts. She took many educational trips, including visiting Chautauqua, New York, and exploring Lewis and Clark’s route from Missouri to Oregon. She instilled her love of nature and learning in her family through camping trips with her children and Road Scholar programs with her grandchildren, staying active well into her 90s and visiting local parks and gardens.

She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond, all 5 of her siblings, and her grandson Dylan. She is survived by her children (Daniel, Patty, Lisa, and Jim Sadowski), her grandchildren (Caitlin Sadowski, Kevin Sadowski, Jien Ra, Peter Sadowski, and Sarah Sadowski), and her great grandchildren (Naru and Nuri Yi).

Anna was an active member of First United Church, at which a memorial service will be held on August 2nd. We welcome donations to the Morton Arboretum in lieu of flowers.