Lauren Sweeney Mitchell

Lauren Sweeney Mitchell, 39, of Carlsbad, Calif., formerly of Hinsdale, passed away peacefully Dec. 19, 2022, in La Jolla, Calif., surrounded by family.

Lauren graduated from Hinsdale Central in 2001 and from The University of Southern California in 2006. She was a certified public accountant by profession, but a wife and mother 100 percent by heart and soul. Her priorities were always her faith, her husband and children as well as her big extended family. She never lost her connection to Hinsdale and loved the Fourth of July celebrations above all other holidays.

In her lifetime she overcame obstacles that most people cannot imagine let alone endure, yet she never asked "why me." Born with cystic fibrosis, she persevered, knocked it out of the park at USC and married a great guy before requiring a double lung transplant at the age of 30. She then completed her family and had three children before her ultimate three-week battle with cancer, during which she was surrounded by family 24 hours a day.

Her family will speak about her for the rest of their lives and her children will grow up knowing her as the hero, leader, optimist and beautiful inspiration she is. Although Lauren will be missed forever, her family can rest, assured she is in heaven and knowing they will be reunited with her again eternally. As Lauren said: "You can bet on it."

She is survived by her husband, Ronny Mitchell; her children, Zachary, Avery and Grant; her parents, Linda and Gerry Sweeney; her sisters, Caroline Sweeney (Alexander) Makris, Julia (Michael) Muniz and Meredith Sweeney; her brother, Nicholas Sweeney; her in-laws, Ronald and Jeanette Mitchell; and many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.

A celebration of her extraordinary life will take place at 1 p.m. (Pacific time) Friday, Jan. 20, at North Coast Church, 2405 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, Calif. For those who can attend, please wear something blue, Lauren's favorite color.

Memorials may be made online to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and or the American Cancer Society.