Kathleen "Kay" (Monaghan) Prager

Kathleen Monaghan Prager was born August 28, 1938, in Independence, Iowa to Patrick and Mary Ellen Monaghan. She passed away on April 3rd, 2025, in Schaumburg, Il. at the age of 86. She is survived by her husband of 37 years- H. Lee Prager of Schaumburg, five siblings- Patrick Dean of Indiana, James of West Des Moines, Ronald of Coggon, Leo (Diane) of Manchester, Colleen (Joe) Brenke of Dubuque, brother-in-law Dr. Elliot (Phyllis) Prager of California, former sister-in-law Maggie Monaghan of Masonville, and fourteen nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, infant sister Elizabeth in 1950, and sister-in-law Marge Monaghan. 

Kay was a wonderful wife, big sister, aunt, and great aunt. She was a 1957 graduate of St Patrick High School in Ryan. She first worked at Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids. She then attended an airline training school and worked for Capital Airlines in Washington D.C. When Capital merged with United Airlines in 1961, she transferred to Chicago. Kay worked there for over 40 years until she retired in 2001. Much of that career was as a customer service rep who checked in tens of thousands of O’Hare passengers at the gate, some famous and a few infamous. She could handle them all with her Irish charm. 

Kay loved to dance, dine, travel, and shop. She was a woman of fashion and style. She often found peace in the form of exercise while riding her bike on the Busse Woods trails of Elk Grove Village. Her joy in dancing caught the eye of Lee Prager at a dinner club in Chicago. She married the love of her life at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church near Chicago on September 5th, 1987. On Summer weekends, one would find them sailing on Lake Michigan in their sailboat “The Kayleen” or enjoying lobster dining in Maine. Winter trips included Hawaii or the Caribbean beaches. Other travels included the ski slopes of Colorado and the Swiss Alps. Atlantic cruises on Queen Elizabeth II any time of the year were among her favorite trips.  

Upon retirement, Kay & Lee expanded their business adventure called Top Gallant. They developed a jewelry business using foreign coins, custom towels, and accessories. That business led them to Irish specialty shops throughout the United States and an extensive mail-order business.  

Kay’s favorite, and only ever pet was a beautiful sheepdog she called Molly B. Her first new car was a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair convertible. She fooled her dad into looking for the engine that was “hidden” in the “trunk”. 

Kay introduced her parents and siblings to air travel. In 1963, she took her mom to Lourdes, France, to Rome to see the Pope, and to Co. Monaghan Ireland to see her great aunts and uncles. Later trips with parents and siblings included Venezuela, Brazil, and various U.S. destinations, as well as New York City, Seattle, Hawaii, and Alaska. A 2016 trip even included all five Monaghan siblings and additional family members, totaling twenty, who returned to the homesteads in Co. Monaghan Ireland. 

Kay will be remembered for always being at her best and bringing the best out of all those she met. She was a wonderful hostess, and “First Class” was the motto she lived by and inspired others to as well. 

Memorials can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. 

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