THE QUIRNIN FAMILY | Happy & Having Fun In Downers Grove
- Jan 31, 2019
- 2 min read
A FAMILY OF SURVIVORS WHO LOVE GIVING BACK
DOWNERS GROVE–Three years from the time Mark made Kerry laugh at Northern Illinois University back in 1995, the couple was married at St. Joseph's Church in Downers Grove.
“When we were lighting our unity candle, both of the candles each of us had to light it went out!” Kerry says. “We started laughing and the whole congregation started laughing too. Laughter became the foundation of our marriage.”
Three children and twenty years later, they commit to going out alone once a week - even when they were in the thralls of having a toddler and newborn – they once paid a neighbor to watch their kids, just so they could go for a walk alone!
As in most families, kids take center stage and Kerry belonged to the PTA, was on the board as the fundraising chair, and sat on the District 99 Parent Advisory Board for one year. Mark coached soccer for 10 years with the Downers Grove Park District, and the kids participated annually in the Woodridge Kids Triathlon, the Classic Soccer League in Lisle, and dance at Pure Vibe Dance Academy in Westmont.
As a family, they attend Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Darien and serve the community together. They also actively raise money for Curesearch (Children's Cancer Research) since their second child is a Burkitt's Lymphoma Survivor.
“We want others to know that they can lean on us in challenging times for support since we were on the receiving end of such support when our daughter went through her cancer journey,” Kerry shares.
The family’s empathy extends to their careers. Mark is a Director of Nursing at a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Batavia and Kerry works for Senior Living Experts, a free referral service for seniors and their families who are seeking guidance.
The Quirin family core is compassion and community! –Kristen Kucharski, Photo by Mike Mantucca
