Off to her next adventure

Shelley Kiefer at home in Wadsworth, IL

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Shelley Remington Beman Kiefer passed peacefully in the company of loved ones on December 7th, 2022, three days shy of her 77th birthday. She died from brain cancer. Shelley was cherished by her children Robin (Stacey) Kiefer, Gretel Kiefer (Stuart Wagenius), husband Jack, grandchildren Ginger, River, Per and Hattie, sisters Suzi (Ford) Dallmeyer, Nancy (Al) Baker, close-knit extended family, and friends. She is predeceased by her parents Jerry and Frannie Beman.


Shelley treasured friendships that grew from social work, years in the family business, gardening, cooking, music, habitat restoration, and hiking. Being in her company was a joy and included being cared for and well fed. She championed hosting and feeding large gatherings of friends and family. Her most-loved creations included pesto, blackcurrant jam, blueberry pancakes, cinnamon buns, cookies, and dishes with ingredients picked straight from her Lawson Road and Hunt Club Road gardens.


Music filled her life. She sang with the Music Institute of Chicago’s Chorale, in the car, and at the grocery store. She played piano for all of her life and shared this gift with the residents and caregivers at Sunrise where she spent the last year of her life.


Her loving, nurturing spirit was shared with not only people, but her natural surroundings. She loved exploring and learning about nature. To her, time pulling weeds or cutting down buckthorn was outdoor playtime. She led restoration workdays through her Site Steward role at Wadsworth Savanna in the Lake County Forest Preserves. Other volunteer activities included collecting seed, working in the lab, and monitoring flora and fauna. She was always up for a walk, a hike, or cross-country ski and shared her love of nature by identifying plants, birds, and insects along the way.


Shelley’s hiking adventures took her from exotic locales, such as Bhutan to her usual stomping grounds, Pine Dunes Forest Preserve.


Donations can be made to the Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves. To match Shelley’s legacy, gifts made in her memory will support stewardship at sites dear to her. Gifts may be made online at https://www.lcfpd.org/donate or by mailing a check to The Preservation Foundation, 1899 W. Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL 60048.


Private services will be held.