Christine "Chrissie" Donnelly, 65, of Cortland IL, passed away on March 9th, 2024, surrounded by family and loved ones. She was born August 6th, 1958, in Oaklawn, IL, the daughter of Carroll and Josephine Kotke.

Chrissie grew up and spent her whole life in Northern Illinois, growing up in Oaklawn with her younger brother Larry. She attended and then later graduated from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb where she then relocated to. Later she and her daughter, Danielle, relocated to Cortland where she lived for the rest of her life. Chrissie was a devoted mother and later went on to begin her decades long career at the Cortland Community Library. Those who came into the Cortland library would always find Chrissie providing a friendly greeting with a smile on her face and was a friend to all that came in. She was adored and cherished by her entire library family. Chrissie was an avid lover of all things Disney. Her passion in life was visiting Disney World with her daughter Danielle. She was a lifelong devoted Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs fan. Her hobbies included Book Club, painting with her friends and doing puzzles while listening to Jimmy Buffet and Paul Simon with her cats.

Chrissie is survived by her daughter, Danielle (Devon) Wilcox, her brother Larry (Tracy) Kotke, and her many nieces and (grand)nephews, Jake (Ashley & Graham), Kiana, Noah, Josie, George, Josh, and Tim. As well as her cats Rosie and Winnie.

She was preceded in death by her parents Carroll and Josephine Kotke.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 4:00pm-6:00pm, outside of the Cortland Lions Club, 70 S. Llanos St. Cortland, IL. All are welcome to attend and share stories about Chrissie. Chrissie loved tropical vibes and all things Disney, so to celebrate, please come wearing bright colors or Disney inspired apparel.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Cortland Community Library in her honor.