Obituaries
Arlington Heights Woman, 27, Identified as Lake Michigan Drowning Victim
A Hoffman Estates native, St. Viator graduate and employee of Zurich in Schaumburg has been identified as a drowning victim in Lake Michigan boat fire in late May, the Daily Herald reports.
A 27-year-old Arlington Heights woman has been identified as a drowning victim in a boating accident that occurred in May, according to the Daily Herald.
The body of Megan Blenner was pulled from Lake Michigan on June 28 after she and three others were forced to jump from a 30-foot cabin cruiser that caught fire miles off the shore of Navy Pier in Chicago, the Daily Herald reports.
Blenner graduated from St. Viator High School in 2004 and played on the basketball team and was a member of the 2003 IHSA championship soccer team, according to her obituary. She was also a member of the National Honor Society.
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The boat's owner, Orest Sopka, a 30-year-old Chicago trader, is still missing, while the body of 26-year-old Chicago attorney Ashley Haws was found in the hours following the accident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. She died of hypothermia.
The sole survivor, a 29-year-old man, was found alive 12 hours after the accident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He was wrapped in life preservers and had a floating boat bumper under his legs, according to the article.
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Blenner graduated from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., in 2008, and went onto complete her CPA certification at Northwestern. At Carroll, she was an All-Academic and All-Conference player in basketball and soccer, according to her obituary.
She worked for Zurich North America as a financial analyst. She was a member of the Junior League of Chicago, the Illinois CPA society, and Zurich's Women's Innovation Network.
She also volunteered for PAWS in Lincoln Park and various other charities, according to her obituary.
A memorial visitation has been set for Friday, July 11 from 3 until 9 p.m. at Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 North Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11 am at Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, 440 South Mitchell in Arlington Heights.
Blenner's full obituary can be found on the Gluckert Funeral Home website
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