Maria Lane Arends (73), of Naples, Florida, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2025, with her beloved husband Bill Arends by her side after a sudden and aggressive illness.

Maria lived with curiosity, a deep appreciation for beauty, and an openness to new experiences. She explored ideas through books, performed on stage, traveled widely, and engaged fully with her students, friends, and community.

Born in Fairmont City, Illinois, to Zorina and Pierce Lane, Maria graduated early from Bradley University. She spent 35 years teaching English at Richwoods High School in Peoria, Illinois, where she poured her heart into her students and her school. She taught both enriched freshman and basic senior classes, sponsored the senior class, coached cheerleading, and led the Readers’ Theater program, guiding her students to IHSA State through a Holocaust script she wrote herself. She also co-founded the school’s Annual Craft Show—just one of the many ways she combined creativity, community, and action. For ten years, she served as a chaperone for the Richwoods chapter of the People-to-People program, which fostered cultural understanding and global citizenship—values Maria believed in deeply.

After retiring from Richwoods, Maria returned briefly to the classroom, teaching in the remote Yup’ik village of Akiuk in the Alaskan bush. It was a natural extension of her lifelong love of learning and sense of adventure.

Through her travels, Maria reconnected her family with long-lost relatives in the former Yugoslavia and helped organize a meaningful journey with her Aunt Mary, Uncle Paul, and cousin Judy to explore their ancestral roots in what is now Poland.

She acted in numerous plays at Conklin’s Barn Dinner Theatre in Goodfield, Illinois, as well as at Corn Stock Theatre and Peoria Players in Peoria. She embraced both comic and dramatic roles, including a one-woman show as Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst and a favorite role as Florence in the female version of The Odd Couple. She ran races, practiced kickboxing, and stayed active in both body and mind. She was working toward a goal of completing a 5K in every U.S. state and was a regular at the Peoria Steamboat Classic race as well as the annual Naples Turkey Trot.

Maria’s commitment to service and community leadership continued in Naples, Florida, where she served as President of The League Club during the 2020–2021 term. In this role, she helped guide the organization’s philanthropic efforts supporting education, the arts, and human services. She embraced life in Naples with the same energy and curiosity that shaped her teaching years. She became a certified flower show judge after completing rigorous training and was an active member of the Naples Garden Club. She completed the Greater Naples Leadership Program, reflecting her ongoing commitment to education, civic engagement, and learning in all stages of life. She supported the Friends of the Library in Collier County, whose mission to sustain a strong public library system aligned perfectly with her values. She was also a member of the Naples Gamma Phi Beta Alumni Chapter and remained closely connected to Bradley University, supporting the university library, the art department, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Maria was so loved—and had a remarkable way of showing up for people and for life. People often remember her for her broad, warm smile—a reflection of the joy and openness with which she engaged the world. Whether you were a student, a fellow actor, a co-volunteer, or a friend, Maria had a way of paying close attention—to people, ideas, and the world around her. She modeled what it meant to keep learning and growing, no matter the stage of life.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Arends—her devoted partner and constant source of love and support. She also leaves behind her sister and brother-in-law, Cynthia and Don Glover, with whom she shared a lifelong bond; her niece, Sarah Glover, and grandnephew, Grant Capel—both of whom affectionately called her “Mimi” and shared a close relationship with her; and Sarah’s partner, Mark Lentzkow. In addition, she is survived by her stepdaughters, Katie Arends Driscoll (and her husband, Tom Driscoll) and Margaret Arends; six step-grandchildren; many cousins; and a wide circle of beloved friends, colleagues, and former students. She was preceded in death by her parents, Zorina and Pierce Lane.

A celebration of life will be held in Peoria, IL. on August 2, 2025. Please RSVP via this site.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Bradley University in Maria’s memory. Gifts will support a scholarship for a Peoria-area student.   Be sure to indicate your gift is in memory of Maria Lane Arends.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/maria-arends/obituary/

Copy