Obituary
Sara Diane Kalina, of Lincolnshire, IL, peacefully passed away in her home on Sat., July 12, 2025. She was an incredible mother, sister, friend, and grandmother. She lived her life in constant motion, always with family, friends, or volunteering to support those who were less fortunate.
Born in St. Louis, MO, in 1942, to Sam and Ida Schneider, Sara attended University City High School and then earned a degree in education from Washington University, before moving to the Chicagoland area to teach English as a second language at Holmes Jr. High.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Elliot Kalina, and is survived by her sister, Beverly Schneider, her three sons, Ira (Susan), Gary (Abbe), and Steve (Jessica), and her seven grandchildren, Bree, Eliza, Tatum, Sadie, Aubrey, Max, and Duncan.
Sara was an inspiration in how she lived her life and always found ways to help others. She was a passionate advocate for education and women’s rights and constantly took classes in her endless pursuit of knowledge. Beyond devoting countless hours to volunteering at the local library, among other organizations, she truly enjoyed spending time with her family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Bernie’s Book Bank, berniesbookbank.org, a nonprofit organization that enables positive life experiences for children through books and book ownership or to Emily’s List, emilyslist.org, a nonprofit organization focused on electing pro-choice women to office.
Chapel service, Wednesday 2:30 PM at Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. Interment Shalom Memorial Park. For information, including a link to view the service, shiva or to leave condolences: Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, www.shalommemorial.org or (847) 255-3520.