Kelly M. Holevoet Obituary (1984 - 2020)

Kelly M. Holevoet, 36, of Heyworth, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center as the result of a sudden cardiac event. A drive-through Celebration of Life will be held at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home in Bloomington on Friday, May 15, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. All family and friends are welcome to pay their respects and share their fondest story of Kelly. A private funeral mass will be held at St. Patrick Church of Merna on Saturday, May 16, with a procession to Randolph Township Cemetery immediately thereafter. Kelly was born on April 17, 1984, in Geneseo, Ill., to Randy and Kim (Vandersnick) VanMeenen. She married Bryn Holevoet on June 2, 2007. He currently resides in Heyworth. Kelly is survived by her husband, Bryn, and their three beautiful children: London (10), Kennedy (7) and Beckett (4). She is also survived by her parents, Randy and Kim VanMeenen; her grandmother, Ines Vandersnick; her sister, Terri VanMeenen; her father and mother in-law, Ron and Sue Holevoet; her aunts and uncles: Dwaine (Janice) VanMeenen, Larry (Caryn) Vandersnick, and Jason Vandersnick; her cousins: Christi (Brent) Reed, Beth (Phil) Unes, Laura (Troy) VanHyfte, Chris (Brooke) Vandersnick, Connor Vandersnick, Kylee Vandersnick, Ashtyn Vandersnick; her brother and sister-in-law, Brett and Jennifer Winkeler and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her dear friend and grandmother, Dorothy VanMeenen, as well as by her two grandfathers, Edward VanMeenen and Duane Vandersnick; and her uncle, Mike Vandersnick. Kelly was born and raised in Geneseo, where she had a passion for sports and competition. She had a knack for nearly every sport and activity in which she participated, and ultimately settled on softball as her favorite. She was proud to have started on Geneseo's 2001 state softball team and had many fond memories of those days spent with her teammates and friends. She felt fortunate to share her love of softball with her oldest daughter, London, and spent hours helping to teach her to pitch and hit. One of Kelly's proudest life moments, undoubtedly, was when she found out London made the travel softball team late last year. After high school, Kelly attended Illinois State University where she majored in Fashion Merchandise and Design. As a part of her studies, she was blessed to complete a year-long exchange program during her sophomore year at the University of Georgia. Kelly wasn't necessarily an adventure seeker, but she had an innate sense of when to pursue opportunities - and she always pursued them with the vigor they deserved. She didn't miss a single home football game during the year she spent at UGA, and could often be found cheering on her beloved Bulldogs each fall. Kelly was also a huge fan of the NFL, and found great pleasure in beating her family members in Fantasy Football year-after-year. Upon her return from Georgia, she learned a longtime family friend was also attending Illinois State University and she reached out to him during the start of her junior year. After a few short months as friends, they started dating and their love story seemed like storybook fiction. With parents as long-time friends, Bryn and Kelly felt immediately connected and had such a love for each other. They enjoyed visiting Florida and Gulf Shore beaches when they could, but their true passion was for raising their wonderful children. Kelly had a talent for numbers. Following college, she was proud to turn that talent into a career at State Farm, starting in the Bank and working her way up to a Regulatory Analyst in the Investment division. Kelly held various regulatory and investment licenses and was skilled at math and managing the minute details of financial reporting. Her work ethic and financial mind brought her success, but it was always Kelly's demeanor and friendliness that fueled her career. After a few years in Bloomington, Kelly and Bryn sought to return to their small-town roots. God led them to Heyworth where they purchased a couple of acres and built their dream house together. Kelly loved their new home and was incredibly proud to be a part of the Heyworth community. She spoke frequently about the great decision to raise her family there and she cherished every friendship, from softball and basketball parents, to teachers, to her monthly book club group. Kelly spoke kindly of all she met and always made a point to find the good in everyone. It was truly one of her most enduring qualities. There was a noticeable change in Kelly when she became a mom. Her mission in life, and now in death, was to look out for her children. Words cannot express the joy that London, Kennedy and Beckett brought to her heart. She was unique in the way she took time each day to stop and be thankful for the blessing they truly were. Kelly would often point out just how cute Beckett's mischievous smile was, and how proud she was of London and her ability to finish her school work with such focus, or how beautiful it was to witness Kennedy dancing and singing. In hindsight, it is easy to see so much of her in them. It is no wonder she had the ability to look past the chaos - the daily messes, the small things that come with raising little ones - to truly see all of the wondrous joy they bring us. Kelly experienced so much pleasure in watching London play basketball and softball. She would often lay in bed and recount special moments from the day's games, and she spent hours helping to coordinate practices and scheduling for London's softball team. She would often joke about how different the kids were. She got a different kind of delight in watching Kennedy dance, sing and tumble. Kelly had recently filmed a dance for Kennedy to submit to the school talent show and she watched that video over and over again with pride and joy. She was amazed at the passion and focus Kennedy could put into her dancing and singing. Kelly had always said that ever since she was young, she thought she would have a baby boy. Her youngest child, Beckett, was truly her baby. Without even trying, Beckett could put the biggest smile on her face. She found enjoyment in the little things Beckett did each day and was tenderly patient with her rambunctious boy. She would often stop and comment at just how cute his little curls and infectious smile were, and how his passion for life and every activity were an inspiration for how she wanted to live her life. In her wisdom, Kelly also made a point to print out pictures from each family vacation and to create a picture book. While Kelly's humility wouldn't allow her to boast of her creativity, the books were done with so much thoughtfulness that she couldn't wait to show them to Bryn and the kids when they were done. Those cherished memories will live on forever in the pages she created. As a mother, Kelly also became passionate about organizing. As one might imagine, the opportunities to organize are endless in a house with three active kids. In a testament to her enterprising spirit, she recently turned that passion into her very own professional organizing business. While her first appointments had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Kelly wasn't discouraged and poured her heart and soul into developing a robust online presence. In a very short time, she networked with organizers from all over the country and was fond of the many talented people with which she was able to connect. Kelly was a remarkable mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. She considered herself fortunate to be there for others and felt truly blessed to have so many great people in her life. Kelly will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Holevoet Children GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/bryn-holevoet-family) setup to help provide for London, Kennedy and Beckett's college expenses.