Jill Hunsberger Obituary

Jill Ann Hunsberger, 77, of South Bend, Indiana, passed away on February 20, 2026, at Elkhart Meadows, surrounded by her family.

Jill was born on April 1, 1948, in Mishawaka Indiana, to Bob and Betty (McDonald) Gerber and was raised in Wyatt Indiana. She was, at her core, a teacher, not just by profession, but in the way she lived her life. She was endlessly curious, deeply compassionate, and had a gift for making people feel seen, understood, and capable of more than they believed.

In 1968, she married Tom Hunsberger, the love of her life and her partner in everything for the next 57 years. Together, they built a family that was her greatest pride and joy.

While raising their four children, Jill returned to school to pursue her degree in education, deftly balancing motherhood with her own studies and fulfilling a dream she had carried for years. She went on to teach at St. Bavo and St. Joseph grade schools, where she became a beloved and steady presence in the lives of her students. She believed fiercely in the children she taught, especially those who struggled most, and she never stopped advocating for them. She later continued that work through the Parents as Teachers program and by teaching parenting classes at the Women's Care Center, helping countless families find confidence and hope.

But to her family, she was simply Mom and Grandma, and the heart of everything. She loved nothing more than having everyone together. Summers on Lake Michigan, long conversations, and evenings spent gathered around the table playing Scrabble, which she played to win, are some of the memories her family will carry forward. She was warm, funny, steady, and loving in a way that made home feel like home.

Jill had a way of making people feel important. Her kindness, encouragement, and quiet strength shaped not only her children and grandchildren, but generations of students and families who were lucky enough to know her.

Jill lived with Alzheimer's disease for many years, and it slowly took pieces of her memory along the way. But it never took the best parts of her. Until the very end, she still greeted people with the same warmth, the same gentle humor, and the same deep kindness. Even when she could no longer speak, she found ways to show her love through a smile, a laugh, or simply being present. Those who knew her could still see her there.

She is survived by her husband, Tom; her children, Amy Herbertz (Daniel), Ryan Hunsberger (Jenny), Mel Lynch (Tim), and Kristin Hunsberger (Terry); and her 18 grandchildren, Jackson, Greta (Nick), Jonah and Ben (Logan) Herbertz, Patrick (Christa), Colleen (Jason), Ryan, Liam (Erin), Clare, Gabe, Maeve and Nolan Hunsberger, Jackson, Ivan, and Dianna Lynch, Jacob, Charlie and Nico Nava, and her 3 great-grandchildren, Theo, Charlotte, and Genevieve, who brought her immense joy. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Betty Gerber; her brother, Rob Gerber; and her sister, Pam Cook.

A visitation will be held at Hahn Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 25, from 4 to 7:30 PM, followed by a Rosary at 7:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Bavo Catholic Church on Thursday, February 26, at 10 AM, with visitation one hour prior at Hahn Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Milton Day Center, in gratitude for the compassionate care they provided, or to the Hospice Foundation of America.

Her family will miss her every day, and they will carry her love with them always. The lessons she taught, both in the classroom and in her family, will live on.

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