Betty Ann Kalo

KALO, BETTY ANN (nee Burr) “I was here. Now I am gone.” That is the extent of the obituary Betty wanted. She claimed that her life was not dominated with many accomplishments; at least not to the extent reflected in the lengthy obituaries of others. She was mistaken. Betty became a registered nurse through the Army Nurse Corps of WWII. Instead of being assigned to an American Indian Reservation, as she wished, Betty was assigned to the VA at Downy, n/k/a the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, in North Chicago. Her nursing career focused upon adult psychiatric care. At one point, her medical team headed the care of the troops returning home from Vietnam. Betty was a member of the first group of nurses in the State of Illinois to sit for the nurse practitioner’s exam, a new field and level of nursing at the time. She retired from the VA but could not stay away from the medical profession. Betty taught CNA courses at the College of Lake County for a few years. Six out of the seven continents were explored by Betty and her husband, Ozzie, throughout their almost 60 years together. Usually up for an adventure, she rode a camel in Egypt while in her mid-70s and took a ride on a jet ski in her mid-80s. As an avid swimmer, Betty taught family members and many neighborhood children the fundamentals of swimming and diving in her backyard pool. She showed off her talents to her three grandchildren by doing backflips off of the diving board at age 72. Betty’s sense of humor ranged from wicked to sweet to self-deprecating. She was a CUBS fan and a BEARS fan, often staying awake late into the night to watch a game to its conclusion, even into her 90s. The highlight of the last year was her dancing with her youngest grandchild at his wedding over Labor Day weekend. Her daughters, Zari Kalo of Waukegan IL, and Leslie McKee (Scott McKee) of Ormond Beach FL, see the best of Betty through her grandchildren, Rachel Keistler, Aaron Keister, and Jeremy Outinen (Charlene Outinen) as well as through her bonus granddaughters, Heather Outinen Lee and Jennifer Outinen Cernech. Betty the mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend touched the lives of many throughout her almost 95 years. She lives on through our memories.