Jacqueline M. Krump, Ph.D.

Jacqueline M. Krump, Ph.D., age 101, of Chicago, died May 26, 2022, in Chicago. Daughter of the late John M. and Eva M., née Lehman, Krump, she was born May 21, 1921, in Chicago. Loving sister of Mary Jane (the late Jerome) Cascino and the late Rev. John M. Krump and Joan Sue Armamentos; dearest aunt of seven.

Jacqueline was born at the end of a pandemic, and as another fades, leaves us after a long life well-lived. An achiever, a trailblazer, a giver, her story starts on Chicago’s South Side in a working class home in the Little Flower Parish. Growing up in the Great Depression, she scrimped, saved, studied, earned a doctorate at Northwestern University, and went on to become an educational philanthropist. Rare as that path was for a woman of her generation, she ran it fueled by a zest for learning and a zeal to share the fun and value of knowing things.

The best part of her career was as a literature professor at Northeastern Illinois University, not usually the road to riches that leads to endowing scholarships at three universities. Credit her fierce intellect and interest in just about everything, so why not tackle the stock market, even if in those days it meant poring over charts in the library? Eventually, she donated more than a dozen scholarships, mostly at NEIU and DePaul, but also at least one at NU, naming them for loved ones and admired friends. Her generosity also extended to Catholic Charities, Tribune Charities, Sheil Center, and Misericordia, among others.

While she adored literature and “always had her nose in a book, long after lights out,” says her sister Mary Jane, music was a passion. The majority of her giving was to music schools. The Krump siblings, Jack, Mary Jane, the late Rev. John Krump and sister Sue/Joan, reveled in singing together around a piano. Jack was an accomplished vocalist and pianist, who picked her house for the piano space. In her 20’s, she played summer stock in St. Louis, and might have pursued the stage, but duty called her to teach.

Sensible and stylish, she kept up with fashions and thrilled to a sale. When the trends of smoking and sunning were deemed unhealthy, she ditched cigarettes, donning Jackie O sunglasses and straw hats. Jack loved seeing the world, and ever thrifty, became a travel agent for the discounts. Cruising had it all:  Zumba, yoga, swimming, dancing, dressing to the nines at the captain’s table, sightseeing, and shows. For decades, she’d do London once a year, hitting the hot tix booth and going to the theatre every night of the trip. Poetry, puzzles, the funnies, sketching, they all tickled her fancy, and she shared them for us to enjoy.

Upon hearing of her death while in Rome, her dear friend, former DePaul President Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., offered Mass in her memory at St. Peter’s Basilica, calling it “a grand space worthy of her grand spirit.”

Memorial Gathering, Saturday, June 11, 2022, from 10 a.m. until time of Memorial Mass, 11 a.m., at St. Lambert Church of Ss. Peter & Lambert Catholic Parish, 8148 Karlov Ave., Skokie, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Misericordia Heart of Mercy, 6300 N. Ridge Ave., Chicago, IL, 60660 (misericordia.com).

Funeral info:  847.673.6111.

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