Lu Ann Carrigan

Lu A. Carrigan, age 68, of Peoria, Illinois, moved on to bigger and better things on January 3, 2025, at Carle Methodist Hospital in Peoria. In the last of her pain-stricken days (thanks cancer), she told us 3 things: she was dying, she was going to heaven, and that she has two husbands there. We hoped she was wrong about the first one, but alas, here we are. Life is short, but sweet for certain. Lu graced the world with her presence on August 7, 1956, and not one time in her short 68 years of life did she provide a dull moment. She was born to Donald Greene and Jean (Fiesler) Goff in East St. Louis, Illinois, and ended up being the middle of five girls. She married William “B” Kendall in 1984 and together they had two daughters. Lu later met and married Lawrence “Larry” Carrigan in 1999 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Peoria. Since both husbands proceeded her in death, we can only assume Lu’s third “prediction” was true. Besides the two husbands, Lu was preceded in death by her father, Donald Greene; step-father, Bob Goff; sisters, Sherry Ford and Chrissy Greene; and many beloved friends and pets. Lu is survived by her daughters, Annie and Pam Kendall both of Peoria; granddaughter, Allison McNab of Peoria; mother, Jean Goff of Bartonville; sisters, Dina (Dave Schaab) Cline and Pam (Dave) Briggs both of Bartonville; and her partner, Thomas Everitt, with whom she made her home. Larry introduced her to the Catholic church, and she quickly found what felt like home. Lu’s faith was strong, even in her darkest days. She was a godly woman, and if you heard her cuss – pretend you didn’t. (Hey, it gave her something to confess!) She was a firm believer that if you change the way you think about something, your outlook will significantly improve. She always said, “You have to think positive.” Lu chose St. Francis as her confirmation saint because of their shared love for animals. Lu once adopted the wildest German Shepard (Murphy) at the dog pound claiming that he “just needed a little love.” (He needed obedience school, too, but that was her best boy, and we just continued to pretend the “needing a little love” thing was working.) We are hopeful that he was there to welcome her into the afterlife, even if it was just to ask for a carrot. Another time she named and tried to keep a stink bug alive because it was too cold outside for it. (His name was Alfie, if you wondered.) Some of Lu’s childhood memories and stories were about spending time with her grandma, Anna, breaking 9 bones (a middle child’s gotta get some attention somehow!), dancing and singing with her older sisters, and trying to escape the torment brought upon her by her younger sister chasing her with frogs. Little did she know, these seemingly small events would shape her future. It turned out that Lu loved concerts and music of all kinds, and you guessed it – she was terrified of frogs (“Hey! I apologized!” – Lu’s younger sister, Pam, ~60 years after the fact). Lu never met a stranger and knew someone everywhere she went (literally). To know her was to love her. She was selfless, kind, caring, considerate, funny, full of love for God and all His creatures big and small (not frogs), and she lit up every room she walked into (sorry, mom - you knew it was coming). Her prized possessions weren’t “things” – they were the people she had in her life. Whether she knew you for years or only just met you, she cherished the connection. Lu loved helping any way she could. Maybe this meant giving a few dollars to someone on the corner because “they are someone’s child/mother/father/etc.” or helping carry someone’s groceries to their car. It was typical of her to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and to treat people and animals the way Jesus would treat them. It’s because of her genuine love and compassion for others that we believe her second forecast to be true. In her free time, Lu enjoyed spending time with her favorite (only) granddaughter, Allison, watching Bluey with her younger daughter, Pam, laughing with her older daughter, Annie, and being around family and friends. She spent a lot of time bonding with her pet birds, dogs and cats. She made it a household tradition to have tacos every Tuesday, pizza every Friday, and roast ONLY on Sunday’s. Lu loved the winter, and we like to think it was her who sent the snow the day after her passing. Lu worked for SEAPCO and more recently as a caregiver to her daughter, who has Cerebral Palsy. She earned her associate's degree in early childhood education and loved working with kids. Lu taught CCD and was the Director of Religious Education at St. Ann Catholic Church for over 15 years. She was an oblate with the brother of St. John, and a long-time member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Peoria. Lu was the absolute best mom and grandma her girls could ask for. There wasn’t an obstacle too big for her to overcome (except this recent touch of cancer, but she wasn’t afraid of death, so ultimately, she won. Lu – 1, Cancer – 0). She was a great example of what a mother and grandmother should be. Her patience and sense of humor were unmatched. The void in our lives without her is tremendous, but not nearly as big as her faith in God and heaven. This brings us comfort and hope that we will see her again one day. Cremation rites have been accorded. A funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Peoria on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 10 am, with a visitation to start one hour prior at 9 am. If you knew Lu, you wouldn’t be surprised that her funeral is quite a bit later than her passing. This is fitting because Lu was never in a hurry to get anything done (which she evidently willed to her daughter). Plus, she’s likely too preoccupied with David Bowie to be worried about what we are doing down here. In LU (see what we did there?) of flowers, memorials can be made to Apostolic Christian Timber Ridge in Morton in her daughter Pam Kendall, or sister Chrissy Greene’s name. Words of comfort can be shared with the Carrigan family at www.SchmidtHaller.com

Lu Ann Carrigan

August 7, 1956 - January 3, 2025