Kay Phillips Braulik

Kay Phillips Braulik passed away on June 10, 2022. Kay lived the majority of her life in Glen
Ellyn and Wheaton, Illinois. Kay was born in 1939, the third of Kenneth and Sylvia Phillips’ four
children. She graduated from Glenbard West High School in 1956 and went on to attend Carroll
College for a short time before transferring to Lake Forest College where she graduated with a
degree in sociology. Kay was married to her high school classmate, Jack Braulik, for nearly ten
years, during which time they moved extensively, living in Cuba, Washington, Florida and
California. In 1965, she gave birth to her one and only child, Elizabeth. Divorcing in 1971, Kay
returned to Glen Ellyn and began building an independent life. She worked incredibly hard to
provide a good life for her daughter. She found work at the College of DuPage and went on to
work as the college’s archivist for nearly 40 years. Nicknamed “the smile at the top of the
stairs,” Kay was known as a friendly, helpful and hardworking employee and co-worker. She
was lucky to count many of her co-workers among her lifelong friends. Outside of work, Kay
enjoyed painting ceramics, and many family members, friends, and co-workers were the
recipients of her beautifully detailed work.

In her retirement, Kay enjoyed going to the theater and concerts with friends, outings to Little
Traveler and Wheaton’s French Market, as well as spending time with her daughter, son-in-law
and grandchildren. Kay took numerous trips across the US and abroad with a dear friend, and
ever the archivist, she enjoyed scrapbooking about all her adventures. A favorite destination
throughout her life was Frankenmuth, Michigan where she could indulge her love for glass
Christmas ornaments. Kay’s vast Christmas ornament collection was a source of great pride for
her, and her tree had many admirers over the years. When Kay began to need assistance in her
later years, she moved to Michigan to be closer to her daughter.

Kay is remembered as a kind and loving parent, mother-in-law, and grandparent. She was a
devoted daughter who cared for her parents as they aged and became frail, eventually
becoming the matriarch of the family after their passing. She was like a second mom to a
number of her nephews and nieces. She was a steadfast and loyal friend and a loving (perhaps
even overindulgent) cat mom. Kay was always especially sensitive to the plight of animals. If you would like to make a donation in Kay's memory, please consider a place she loved taking her grandkids, the Willowbrook Wildlife Center, c/o The Friends of the DuPage Forest Preserves, 3S580 Naperville Rd., Wheaton, IL  60189. Online donations also possible:  http://dupageforest.org/friends 

Kay is survived by her beloved daughter, Elizabeth Braulik Ramos ; son-in-law, Jorge;
grandchildren, Lily, Olivia, Emma and Edward; nephews and nieces and a handful of lifelong
friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth S. and Sylvia Phillips; sisters Diane
Firchau and Leila Allen Ivins, and brother, Kenneth S. Phillips, Jr. A memorial service will be held
at Leonard Memorial Funeral Home in Glen Ellyn, Illinois on June 20 at 10:30am with luncheon
at the Lake Ellyn boathouse immediately following. Private burial at Mt. Emblem in Elmhurst,
Illinois.

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