On December 30, 2020, we lost our mom, Kathy Breit, after a long and difficult battle with cancer. Because of COVID, everything was shut down at the time. We weren’t able to gather, grieve, or honor her in the way she deserved. Her funeral had to be held over Zoom — the best we could do in an impossible moment.

During her treatments, one of the few places that brought her a sense of peace was the Chicago Botanic Garden. Being surrounded by nature gave her moments of calm when life was being incredibly unfair.

Every year on her birthday, June 17, my brother Justin and I return to the Chicago Botanic Garden to honor our mom and remember her in a place that meant so much to her. It has become our way of staying connected to her.

The garden offers memorial bricks that can be dedicated to loved ones, including placement inside the garden itself. Justin and I would love to do this in her honor and wanted to open the opportunity for friends and family to take part if they wish.

We created this GoFundMe so that those who loved Kathy Breit — and who may visit the garden in the future — can be part of something lasting. A permanent reminder of her life in a place that brought her peace when she needed it most.

Please consider contributing or sharing, and thank you for taking part in remembering her.

With love,

Kimberly & Justin