‘Sunshine wherever she went’: Fundraiser set up to honor Des Plaines woman killed in boat crash

A GoFundMe online fundraiser started by the brother of Magdalena Jablonska, the Des Plaines woman fatally injured in a boating crash Saturday on the Fox River, has surpassed its financial goal to honor her memory by supporting dog shelters she cherished deeply.

By Thursday morning, 434 people had contributed to the fund set up by Marcin Jablonski of Jacksonville, North Carolina, raising the tally to $25,080 of an updated $35,000 goal.

“As a U.S. Marine, it was natural that Magdalena was always helping someone in need,” he wrote.

“Magdalena was the sunshine in every place she went, and one of her favorite things to do was help dogs in need,” he added.

To visit the fundraising page, go to gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-magdalena-support-for-dog-shelters.

Jablonska, 48, was in a boat with her fiance about 2:30 p.m. Saturday on the Fox River near McHenry when it was struck from behind by a 31-foot South Bay pontoon boat traveling 80 mph. The collision killed Jablonska and critically injured her fiance, who has not been identified, authorities said.

The driver of the pontoon, Lisle resident Richard M. Stevenson, 45, had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal threshold for driving, prosecutors said.

Stevenson is charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, causing death, and one count of reckless homicide. He was denied pretrial release Monday and remains in custody at the McHenry County jail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5.

On Tuesday, Stevenson Crane Service Inc., issued a statement regarding the weekend situation involving Richard Stevenson and offering its sincerest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.

Based in Bolingbrook, it is a self-described full-service lifting and transportation company specializing in crane rentals, rigging, machinery moving, heavy haul transportation, lift planning, and aerial equipment rentals. A media report had identified Richard Stevenson as an executive with the company.

“Yesterday (Monday) Richard Stevenson’s employment with the company in the equipment sales department was terminated,” the statement read.

“He held no leadership role, had no involvement in company operations and no ownership interest in the company,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts are with those impacted by this tragedy.”