Jan. 19--Megan Behnke learned she had cancer the same day she brought her newborn daughter home from the hospital 13 years ago.
Doctors attending the birth noticed a mole on Behnke's back and immediately ordered tests. "Literally, it was Megan's daughter that saved her life," said her brother, Bill McMahon.
In years that followed, however, the mother of four dealt with additional bouts of cancer while operating a small Montessori preschool and day care service out of her home in Libertyville.
"She was the most amazing mother and teacher, and such a blessing for my son," said Amy Reichart, whose 5-year-old son, Colin, attended Behnke's preschool for two years. "Colin thrived during his time with Megan. She was so kind and nurturing. I knew he was in the best of care."
Behnke, 50, who also worked at the Montessori School of Lake Forest during the 1990s, died Jan. 10 in her home. She had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and malignant melanoma.
"Being a mom meant everything to Megan," said Carrie Gammonley, a friend since childhood. "Nothing was more important than her children. She loved them deeply and was so very proud of them."
Behnke was unable to work for the past two years due to her illness.
"She never complained or ask 'Why me?' " said McMahon, who is five years younger than his sister. "One of the hardest things for her was not being able to keep her school open. Children were her sustenance, her constant source of joy."
Born Megan McMahon in Evergreen Park, Behnke grew up in Western Springs and was a 1984 graduate of Lyons Township High School.
After earning a bachelor's degree in education in 1988 from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, Behnke received her Montessori certification from the Midwest Montessori Institute in Milwaukee, and later a master's degree in education from National Louis University in Evanston.
"She was a natural teacher," McMahon said. "It was her calling."
From 1990 to 1996, Behnke served as directress of the Montessori School of Lake Forest, where she taught and designed lesson plans for students age 3 to 6.
In 1994, she married Alan Behnke. The couple divorced a few years ago.
In her final weeks, and despite her rapidly declining health, Behnke remained focused on her children and what was happening in their lives.
"After school, they'd come to her bedside to talk," Gammonley said. "With all her strength, she'd pull herself up by her elbows to give them a hug, and then she'd slump back down in her bed.
"I wish everyone could have experienced Megan's hugs. She didn't just hug you. She embraced you."
Over the years, Behnke participated in many fundraising walks and runs aimed at eliminating cancer, including the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, where she often shared her story.
"I know it sounds cliche, but everywhere Megan went she brought out the best in people," McMahon said. "I know that's what she did for me."
In 2010, Behnke was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune at a kick-off celebration for Relay for Life of Green Oaks, Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills.
"After treatment, as I start to rebuild my newfound life, my perspective is now that it's not how long we live but how rich each moment can be," she told the Tribune.
Other survivors include a son, Will; three daughters, Emily, Molly and Elizabeth; her father, William McMahon; her mother, Jeri McMahon Schejbal; another brother, Michael McMahon; two sisters, Seane McMahon and Caitlin McMahon; a stepfather, John Schejbal; a stepmother, Alice Fox McMahon; a stepbrother, John Hughes; and a stepsister, Mardie Anderson.
Services were held.
Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter.
