Obituary of Venessa Sue Litewski

Venessa Sue (Hays) Litewski of Winthrop Harbor went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday October 31, 2020. She was born October 8, 1957 in Waukegan, Illinois to Lafoy and Louise Hays. She was the youngest of 4 children and spent her childhood growing up in Zion, IL. She graduated from Zion Benton Township High School in 1975 and married Larry Litewski, her high school sweetheart, on October 18th of the same year. Sue met Larry when she was just 13. They began dating when she was 14 and he was 17. They married just 10 days after she turned 18 and were excited to begin their life together. Their first son, Rob, was born in 1976. Their daughter, Caryn, came next in 1978 and their youngest son, Jonathan, was born in 1981. Sue and Larry also lost one child due to miscarriage. In October 2020, Sue and Larry celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary and 49th year of life together. They were best friends who had a beautiful relationship. Larry served as Sue’s primary caregiver for decades. They were a great example of a godly marriage to all who were blessed to see them together. Sue was a loving stay at home mom to her 3 children for many years. She later worked as an office secretary and realtor for Cornerstone Realty in Winthrop Harbor, IL. She then transitioned to work in the Medical Records department of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, leaving the workforce permanently in the early 2000’s. After Jesus and Larry, Sue’s greatest joy in life came from being a mother and grandmother. She was blessed with 10 grandchildren, whom she loved to shower with gifts all year round. Sue was a woman of great faith. She was saved as a child and served the Lord joyfully throughout her life. Growing up, she was a member of First Baptist Church in Winthrop Harbor and then Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Zion. Sue has been a member of Lakeview Church in Zion for the past 25 years. She was a passionate singer and loved being a part of the church choir, singing solos and participating in various ensemble groups. She served as worship leader and choir director at Mt. Carmel, as well as children’s Sunday School teacher and Christmas program director. Sue was also a gifted writer. She wrote skits for different ministry functions at church but was also a published poet and songwriter. Sue battled a variety of health problems for a large portion of her life. She survived legal blindness in her 20’s and breast cancer in her 40’s. She battled Myasthenia Gravis and Muscular Dystrophy for decades. Due to complications of MG she had her voice box removed in the early 2000’s which was especially difficult because of Sue’s love for music and singing. Despite severe chronic pain and debilitating health which left her homebound for many years, she was joyful and a constant source of encouragement to everyone who knew her. She developed a tremendous online ministry, especially serving as a mentor to other patients with MG. She remained a faithful prayer warrior and was also well known for her encouraging daily Facebook posts. She was a great example of joy in suffering for all to see and we all take comfort in knowing she is now pain free and with Jesus. Sue is survived by: her husband Larry Litewski, her children Rob (Amy) Litewski, Caryn (David) Block and Jon Litewski, her sister Carolyn (Bill) Grimes, her mother Louise Hays, her grandchildren Kailie, Emma, Isaac, Abigail, Lauren and William Block and Alina, Christian, Noah and Cade Litewski and many extended family members. Sue is preceded in death by her father Lafoy Hays, her brother Calvin Hays, her brother Paul Hays and one child lost in miscarriage. Services are scheduled to take place Friday, November 6, 2020 at Lakeview Church in Zion, IL. Visitation will be 9 – 11 am, funeral service at 11am. The service will be livestreamed on Lakeview Church’s YouTube channel and via Congdon Funeral Home’s website for those unable to attend in person. Interment will be private and will immediately follow at Oakdale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sue’s honor to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America through this link: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E248489&id=3