By Kristin Boza
Since moving into their North Beverly home in February 2019, Nikki and Pat Donnelly have become entrenched in all that Beverly/Morgan Park has to offer.
Before moving to our community, the Donnellys, along with their daughters Kate, Jane and Mary, lived in Oak Lawn. Kate and Jane attended Nikki’s alma mater, St. Linus School.
“A few factors contributed to our decision to move to the Beverly area,” Nikki said. “First, we outgrew our home in Oak Lawn and needed more space. Also, my sister-in-law, Shelly Cunningham, a long-time Beverly resident, encouraged us to look for a home in Christ the King parish. We ended up moving in three doors down from her, so we are not sure if she knew what she was getting herself into!”
Kate and Jane are entering 4th and 2nd grade, respectively, at Christ the King School, while Mary will attend preschool at Barbara Vick Early Childhood Center.
Nikki is a high school special education teacher at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS) in the cluster program. “My students truly bring joy each and every day. It is a wonderful school community that I am lucky to be a part of,” Nikki said. Pat works for the City of Chicago as a Local 399 building engineer at O’Hare International Airport.
The family is heavily involved in parish and neighborhood events and activities. Nikki assisted at the Thanksgiving dinner held at CHSAS, ensuring students of all abilities were included in the event. The family has attended the Beverly Hills Turkey Trot 5K Run and Family, and they attend as many school and parish activities as they can.
Nikki is a regular at Treadfit, and her daughters love visiting Original Rainbow Cone.
“Some of our favorite events have been the 91st and Hoyne Block Party, the BAPA Cookie Crawl, and Trivia Night at Christ the King,” Nikki said. Another memorable event was an author meet-and-greet with Mary Pat Kelly, author of “Galway Bay,” at a neighbor’s house. Once the pandemic subsides, the family plans to get out even more in the community, specifically sitting down for a coffee at Two Mile Coffee Bar.
When the Donnellys are not hanging out at home or biking through the neighborhood, they enjoy kayaking in Wisconsin and spending the summer at their home in Fontana on Geneva Lake. “We love to travel to Sanibel Island in Florida; however, this summer we are looking forward to traveling to Mackinac Island. Recently, we installed a bike rack on our car to explore new trails outside of the neighborhood and while we’re on vacation,” Nikki said.
“Our absolute favorite part about living in Beverly is our neighbors and the sense of community throughout the area,” Nikki said. “Immediately upon arrival, our neighbors graciously welcomed our entire family. We love our new neighbors and neighborhood and are looking forward to many years in Beverly!”
