Mari Catherine "Kaye" Taylor Lorenc

Mari Catherine (Kaye) Taylor Lorenc was born February 18, 1942 in Joliet, Illinois to parents Clarence and Carolyn (Shimshok) Taylor.

Mari grew up and attended school in Lockport, Illinois. She enjoyed many childhood “adventures” with her best friends Patty and Kathee. Together they rode bikes all over town, went roller skating indoors and out, hung out at Chaney Pool and saw movies. Winters were spent sledding and ice skating at Dellwood Park. While attending Lockport Township High School, the girl’s, along with new friends Audrey, Sandy and Carolyn attended school dances, football and basketball games, and hosted sleepovers where they would share giggles, dreams and crushes. Rumor has it Mari was crazy for Elvis, but she was soon to meet a cute boy who looked like James Dean, her future husband Bob.

Mari met Bob when she was 16 and they both worked at the A and P grocery store. She finally agreed to go to a dance with him after he had been asking her out for a year. She attended Joliet Junior College for two years, then agreed to marry Bob. They wed in March of 1962. Mari gave birth to Lisa in 1963 while Bob was serving in the United States Army in Vietnam. The family moved to Yuma, Arizona until Bob was discharged from the Army in 1967. Son Christopher was born there in 1964. The Lorenc’s moved back to Illinois to be close to family. Bob began a career in the grocery business. Mari took care of the household and children and later began her career in real estate.

The Illinois years were filled with fun family gatherings. Summer picnics and reunions with Bob’s large family. Parties and music jam sessions with Mari’s parents, brothers and their families. Mari also loved spending time with her many aunts and uncles, all of whom she loved dearly. When her parents, Grandma and Grandpa Taylor, moved to Southern Illinois the family took many trips to their small country town to fish, ride horses and visit relatives.

Mari earned her real estate license in 1973 after studying and passing the exam while she was recuperating from surgery. She started working for a local agency in Joliet, Illinois and quickly became a successful agent, achieving multi-million dollars sales and winning top listing agent awards annually.

In 1984, the Illinois economy took a downturn and the freezing winters began to wear on her, so she decided to move the family to Texas where things were bound to better. Mari continued to be a top performing realtor. She worked for Wright Realtors, Remax and William Davis Realty before retiring in 2015.

Mari loved people and her curiosity to learn about other cultures led her to cultivate many friendships. She took the time to really get to know people and was genuinely interested in them. Her friends and clients were special to her and she always went the extra mile to help them whether it was finding the perfect home, facilitating a hard deal or selling their home quickly. Mari’s hard work and caring personality often led to repeat clients and referrals.

Thank you notes from clients included comments such as these:

Thank you so much for all you did to sell my home and find me a new home. For the first time in a long time I’m happy.

We have sold several homes in the past and have never enjoyed working with an agent with your expertise. Both of us feel that without you our home would not have sold in 6 days!

Your persistence at holding several open houses at this location certainly demonstrates your determination to provide the seller with incredible service, an effort rarely provided in todays “Put a sign out and forget it mentality.”

Mari gave advice without being “pushy” and in the spirit of mutual cooperation between the seller and the agent - something worth its weight in gold. She facilitated vendor repairs with our best interests at heart.

Mari sought to establish a relationship with our family members and in turn was sensitive to our individual needs, ensuring our transaction was a stress free as possible.

There’s not many people out there like you. I feel we have already learned a valuable lesson about the world thru you.

Throughout the many, many, homes you showed us, you were always so radiant. I don’t believe many people would have put up with us, but God knew who we needed. It’s nice to know that when God brought you down our path to be our realtor he also brought us a friend.

Mari represented herself as the best real estate agent I ever met. She is also an individual who is concerned for other human beings. She served on the Board of Directors of Big-Brothers-Big Sisters of Will County and helped me with many fund-raising events.

Mari’s creative writing skills were evident in the catchy ads she wrote to promote her listings and personally in beautiful poems that she wrote. She was an avid reader who devoured many Steven King novels. She had an eye for interior design, personally “staged” her client’s homes and was continuously updating her own homes.

Mari loved animals especially horses and dogs. She would go horseback riding whenever she had the opportunity. Her caring nature led her to take care of strays and nurse them back to health. Even though she was terrified of birds (after watching a certain movie), she once took care of a bird that had a broken wing. She loved her dogs, Soapy, Brandy, “dog” (yes, a dog named dog), Baby, Sammy, and Gi Gi.

Mari loved to travel and explore new places. Her favorite family vacations were to Jamaica and Mexico. Adventures included horseback riding on the beach, climbing waterfalls and swimming with dolphins.

Above all, Mari loved to spend time with family. Grandparents, brothers, sisters, in-laws, cousins, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Cookouts, picnics, swim parties, jam sessions, dance parties and vacations. Laughing, singing, dancing and sharing funny stories. These were the best of times.

Mari was diagnosed with lung cancer 2014 and pancreatic cancer in 2018. The family is proud of how hard and long she fought this disease, especially during Bob’s illness and passing last year. She was optimistic most of the time and worked hard to keep up the house (which has a large yard and pool). She continued to organize family celebrations for birthdays and holidays, take care of Bob as his Parkinson's progressed and also take care of their beloved dog Gi Gi.

Her beautiful smile, kind heart and sense of humor will be missed. The suffering has ended. May she rest in peace.

Mari is survived by her children, daughter, Lisa Horn and her husband Gary and son, R. Christopher Lorenc and his wife Nelly; granddaughters, Emma and Caroline Lorenc and Taylor Horn; step granddaughter, Shauna; great grandchildren, Chandler, Sunny, Ambiance and Lunaray and sister-in-law, Marilyn Koch. She is also survived by several beloved nieces and nephews; brother-in-law, Dale Wroblewski and sister-in-law, Jill Taylor. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Carolyn Taylor; brothers, John and Michael Taylor; father and mother-in-law, Edward and Alvina Lorenc, and sister-in-law, Delores Wroblewski.

The family will receive friends for a visitation on Friday, September 27, 2019, from 6-8:00 P.M. at Allen Family Funeral Options.

A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at 1:00 P.M. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 2700 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, Texas 75023 with The Reverend Bruce Bradley officiating. A reception will immediately follow the mass in the Parish Hall.