Celebration of Life planned April 18 for Darlene Wyosnick, 1938-2026

Family and friends will gather April 18 to celebrate the life of Darlene Wyosnick, and are sharing this remembrance with her community:

Darlene Wyosnick (née Streeter) passed away peacefully on the morning of March 21, 2026. She bravely battled cancer, ultimately succumbing to complications from a fall that occurred on December 30, 2025.

Darlene was born on October 13, 1938, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Clarence (Doc), and mother, Ruth, were wonderful parents, and she and her brother, Edward (Ed), were raised in a loving family. Clarence was a shoe salesman with a store in Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Ruth was an executive secretary. Darlene looked back fondly on these early days in their Englewood neighborhood, recalling nights filled with the sound of kids playing and a neighbor practicing violin. She also inherited from her dad a lifelong love for her favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.

Music and athletics were a prominent part of Darlene’s childhood, especially at Harper High School. She studied classical piano, played the timpani in the concert band, and competed in volleyball and baseball. She talked often about the mischief she would get into, referring to herself as a rascal who got into a lot of trouble. Most of this was innocent fun, but she knew she frequently tested the patience of her parents. She also established a strong faith in God, with church remaining a prominent part of the rest of her life.

In 1957, Darlene took an office job at a sheet metal company. It was there that she met her first husband, Richard Kirk. Richard’s first wife had died of polio, so Darlene became the mother of his two sons, Phil and Brian Kirk. Together, she and Richard had three more children: Sherri, Richard (Jr.), and Eric Kirk.

Darlene married her second husband, David Wyosnick, in 1978. They started a family in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park and had their son, Ian Wyosnick. They later moved to Lombard, Illinois, where they lived for over 40 years. During this time, she worked at the College of DuPage and became deeply involved with their church, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lombard. A particular highlight of her time there was volunteering with Team Eve, where she would bring Eve, a golden retriever, to visit people in need of support. She remained deeply devoted to her autistic son, Eric, faithfully spending nearly every weekend with him and becoming an advocate for autistic people.

In 2021, Dave and Darlene moved to Seattle to be near family. They had always loved visiting the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and quickly ingrained themselves into the West Seattle community. They became active members of Hope Lutheran Church, and Darlene continued her lifelong love of animals by volunteering at the Burien Animal Shelter.

Darlene lived a life guided by love, faith, and kindness. She judged people by the content of their character and would gladly invite anyone over for a meal, where she would treat them as a member of her own family. She was a wonderful person who will be missed by many. Her legacy of love lives on through all of those she touched.

Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence (Doc) and Ruth Streeter; her brother, Ed Streeter; her first husband, Richard Kirk; and her grandchildren, Matthew Kirk and Jared Kirk.

Darlene is survived by her husband, David Wyosnick; her children, Phil (Lesia) Kirk, Brian (Marie) Kirk, Sherri (John) Daedelow, Richard (Katherine) Kirk, Eric Kirk, and Ian (Elizabeth) Wyosnick; and her grandchildren, Misty Navarro, Jeff Kirk, Nathan Daedelow, Jacob Kirk, Natalie Wyosnick, and Holly Wyosnick.

Celebration of life ceremonies will be held on April 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church (4456 42nd Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116), and on July 18, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church (215 S Lincoln Ave, Lombard, IL 60148).

In lieu of flowers, please donate online to Oak-Leyden Developmental Services to support the autistic adult community.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

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