Lynda K Bendik

Mrs. Lynda Karen (Kotulski) Bendik, 61, passed away on March 15, 2025, in Elmhurst, Illinois. Lynda was born on August 18, 1963, in Melrose Park, Illinois to Edward and Phyllis Kotulski. She was one of 5 children and grew up on the Southside of North Avenue. Lynda shared many fond memories of her childhood with her parents, siblings, and her dear dog Fluffy. She pursued her education at Triton College in River Grove, Illinois, where she earned an Executive Secretarial Associate’s Degree. Throughout her life, Lynda held a variety of jobs that showcased her adaptability and dedication. In her early years, she worked as a salad girl at Tirtilli’s Restaurant and a telephone operator at Northlake Community Hospital. After college, she spent many years working for Motorola. From 1988 to 1996, she primarily dedicated herself to being a stay-at-home mom while also taking on roles such as a personal assistant for a dietician and a legal transcriptionist.
In December of 1996, Lynda began what would become a long and impactful career as a school secretary at Westdale Elementary School in Northlake, Illinois—the very school her daughter Amy attended, and now teaches. For over 25 years, she worked alongside Irma Sanchez (aka her sister from another mister) until her retirement in February of 2022. Lynda was known for her exceptional typing and proofreading skills and was instrumental in handling filing, spreadsheets, accounting, records, and much more. She was fondly and frequently regarded as the heart of Westdale.
Beyond her professional life, Lynda had many passions. She was an avid stamper with an extensive collection of rubber stamps and took great joy in creating handcrafted paper crafts such as birthday cards, invitations, wedding cards, and intricate paper flowers. Her creativity brought joy to many through these personalized works of art. She also enjoyed baking many delicious treats. Her chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter balls, kolaczkis, and taffy apple salad were highly requested and devoured by many. Lynda also loved to travel with her family. Some of her favorite destinations being Branson, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee, and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Lynda was known for her kindness and generosity. Her smile and laughter were infectious, and she had an incredible ability to turn strangers into friends within moments of meeting them. She also had a special connection with animals and was often considered a “dog whisperer.” Her luck was legendary—she frequently won tickets from the local radio station US99, allowing her to attend numerous concerts and events over the years. Through these experiences, she and Amy met many famous country artists including, but not limited to, the late Toby Keith, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts, Trisha Yearwood, Bryan White, and Phil Vassar.
When Lynda wasn’t working, crafting, baking, traveling, or attending concerts, she could be found at home binge-watching a t.v. series or re-watching Gilmore Girls, yet again, with her best friend, soulmate, and daughter Amy. Lynda is survived by her loving husband Simon Bendik; her beloved daughter and son-in-law Amy Lynn and Michael Santore; her brother Jeff (Tina) Kotulski; her sister Barbara (George) Letarte; as well as numerous nieces including Jennifer (Jonathan) Karp, Sarah Letarte (Matt Walsh), Breigha Kotulski (Yogesh Tupe); nephews including Tommy Mukite (Karen Curatolo), Nicholas (Debanhi) Mukite, Charles (Trang) Kotulski, Michael Mukite, Eddie and Samuel Kotulski; great-nieces and nephews including Aven, Audric, Aeric, Elliott, Everett, and Joey; and
her cherished grandpups Clover and Theo Santore. She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Phyllis Kotulski; her brother Gary Kotulski; her sister Patricia Mukite; her nephew Christopher Kotulski; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and beloved pets Fluffy, Scruffy, Peaches, Honey, and Maggie May. A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Salerno’s Rosedale Chapel, located at 450 W. Lake Street in Roselle, Illinois. Burial will be private. Lynda’s warmth and generosity touched the lives of many. May her memory bring comfort to all
who knew her. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the organizations that touched my mom in some way. Fetching Tails Rescue, Shriners Children’s Chicago, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Phillips-Amick Foundation