Schaumburg woman lived dream of teaching special ed
A special education kindergarten teacher in Lake Zurich Unit District 95 passed away unexpectedly Sunday, leaving her colleagues, students and loved ones scrambling to make sense of the loss.
Lindsay Gillilan, 28, a Schaumburg resident and Prospect High School graduate, died after a prolonged asthma attack that had apparently weakened her heart, said family members, who were still awaiting autopsy results.
"Everyone from her special education team is trying to cope with the news," said District 95 Assistant Superintendent Nancy Rosenfeld. "We're calling families and trying to be very gentle in telling the children their teacher is not coming back."
Miss Gillilan had just finished her fourth year in the district's early-childhood program, working with 5-year-olds. Just last week, she'd been in Rosenfeld's office, ordering a new rug for the fall for her classroom, where she'd always gathered her students around her for reading.
"Her focus was on literacy, math and incorporating technology when she could," Rosenfeld said, "as well as social skills and learning how to function independently."
Miss Gillilan had dreamed of becoming a special-education teacher after watching her mother, Marta, work for more than 20 years a teacher's assistant in Mount Prospect Elementary District 57's early education department.
"She loved working with children," her mother says, "and always would accompany me on Bring Your Child to Work Day."
Miss Gillilan grew up in Mount Prospect, graduating from Prospect in 1999. During her years there, she worked in District 57's Kids Korner Before and After School Care, later serving as a teacher's assistant at Fairview Elementary School in Mount Prospect.
She also was an active student athlete, dancing with the Orchesis Club and performing with the cheerleaders at Prospect's varsity football and basketball games.
During college at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., Miss Gillilan earned an education degree with an endorsement in special education. More recently, she'd attended Benedictine University in Lisle to complete her master's degree in reading.
Before starting graduate school, Miss Gillilan also coached the varsity poms teams at Lake Zurich High School while teaching dance, including pom technique classes, at the Trilogy School of the Performing Arts in Lake Zurich.
"Her (master's degree) diploma came in the mail last week," her mother said. "She had just gotten engaged and had everything going for her. We're just crushed."
Besides her mother, Miss Gillilan's survivors include her father Bruce Gillilan, siblings Brett Gillilan and Kara Murphy, fiancé James Draz, grandfather Harry Gustafson and two nephews.
Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. before a noon funeral service on Saturday, June 27, at First United Methodist Church, 1903 E. Euclid Ave. in Arlington Heights.