Lynn Carol Westney, 73, of La Porte, Ind., passed away Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, at Hamilton Communities in New Carlisle, Ind.
Born Dec. 24, 1947, in Chicago, Ill., to Joseph and Alma (Stankovitch) Tvrdik (both now deceased), Lynn lived a rich life filled with curiosity, exuberance and passion.
Lynn earned her BA in Sociology from Loyola University and her MS in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Champaign. She enjoyed a 25-year career at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was a reference librarian and associate professor and coordinator of Reference Collection Development. She was a member of the American Library Association, Illinois Library Association and the American Names Society. Lynn was editor of the Educational Rankings Annual for years 1991-2006, and wrote numerous scholarly papers, many of which she presented as a guest speaker in a variety of international locations.
Lynn loved reading about and writing about food, and enjoyed fine dining and ethnic cuisines. She was an avid rock and fossil collector, especially the Petoskey stones found along the Michigan shoreline of Lake Michigan. She was also a passionate advocate for the protection and humane treatment of all animals, domesticated and wild.
In June 1980, she married William Homer Hattendorf, II, who preceded her in death in 1995. In August 1997, she married Robert J. Westney, who preceded her in death in 2014.
Surviving are her sisters, Ellen Jo Kraemer of Wilmington, N.C., and Gail Ann Pawlowski of Joliet, Ill.; nieces, Dawn Pawlowski Sprengel of Joliet, Melanie Kraemer of Seneca, S.C., and Vanessa Kraemer of Castle Hayne, N.C.; nephew, Jack S. Pawlowski of Flower Mound, Tex.; great-niece, Emily Pawlowski of Flower Mound; great-nephews, Jericho and Callen Sprengel of Joliet and Benjamin Pawlowski of Flower Mound; and stepchildren, William H. Hattendorf, III, of Michigan and Kim Skyelander of Colorado.
Cremation has taken place with Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center, La Porte.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Michiana Humane Society, 722 Ind. 212, Michigan City, Ind. 46360; or Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society, 1250 Chippewa Trail, Chesterton, Ind. 46304.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP as well as at www.cutlercares.com.