Caroline Edens Hectus Adornetto passed peacefully at Central Baptist Home on April 6th, 2026.

The daughter of Vance Edens and Mildred (Thomas) was born March 23rd, 1931, in Chicago, the oldest daughter and the last remaining of 6 siblings: Wally, Orrie, Jack, and Tim Edens, as well as, Betty Olmsted.

She was fortunate to have been the wife of two incredible men, Charlie Hectus and, after his untimely death, Frank Adornetto. The three of them shared the joy of raising their children: Ronnie Hectus (Beth), Gail Borgerd (Gary), Diane Karlsson (Ron), and Tony Adornetto (Chris).

Lucky to have been blessed with such a long life, she was able to celebrate the accomplishments of her grandchildren: Amy, Lisa, BrittLee, Laura, and Billy, and as an extra bonus, her great-grandchildren: Ethan, Evan, Luke, Maraya, Jackson, and Morgan.

Caroline worked for International Harvester and then opened Caroline’s Ceramics, partnering with her daughter Gail and her son Ron.

She raised her children mostly in the house on Leroy, and while doing so, she still found time to root for the Cubs, play bingo, raise funds for the high school, and worked on a program for art therapy (quite revolutionary for the time).

She hosted the two most important nights of the year for decades, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and created some of the traditions and memories that are still remembered and carried on today. Who could forget the champagne sherbet punch and the Dominos appetizer rounds? She instilled in all of us a taste for champagne, shrimp, and caviar.

Christmas Eve was non-negotiable- you had to be there or else! The lead-up to the main event was carried out with military precision and an assembly line process that Ford would have envied. Everything was always perfect!

New Year’s Eve was far looser, but mostly it was a very serious card game where all of the colorful crew gathered to win or lose. Caroline mostly won.

Along the way, as the years went on, there were good times, times of sorrow, trying times, and wonderful moments. Caroline was at the center of it all, quietly working behind the scenes, doing what she could to hold the family standard the way that she believed to be best.

You never had to wonder what she was thinking- brutally honest with a razor-sharp wit that sometimes may have stung, but beneath the veneer, she was one of the kindest, most generous members of the family. Always willing to point you toward a solution and give sound advice that maybe you weren’t quite ready to hear, but she gave it anyway- and you couldn’t stop her.

Caroline always showed up. That is how she’d like to be remembered. She was the one constant in a changing and turbulent space.

Her long reign was marked by her strong sense of duty, determination, and dedication to her people- her family.

The Queen is gone. There will never be another.

Services:

Visitation will be on Monday, April 13th, 2026 from 4-8pm at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home, 1104 Waukegan Rd., Glenview IL 60025.

Family and friends will meet on Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 at 9am at the funeral home and process to All Saints Parish - St. Isaac Jogues Campus, 8149 W Golf Rd, Niles, IL 60714, for a funeral mass at 10am. Interment Maryhill Cemetery. 

Memorial donations can be made in Caroline's honor to the National Fragile X Foundation, 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005. 

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