From Jim Paulson:

Deceased Classmate: Michelle Demichelis
Date Of Birth:
Date Deceased: 02-06-1999
Age at Death:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Classmate City: Harvard
Classmate State: IL
Classmate Country:
Survived By: Husband, Bill Crowe,and other family

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-02-09/news/9902090130_1_martial-arts-school-mrs-crowe-bill-crowe Michelle Crowe, Daughter Laurel Ann February 09, 1999|By Meg McSherry Breslin, Tribune Staff Writer. Michelle DeMichelis Crowe had an unusual artistic flair that she applied to a range of jobs, first as a seamstress for the Goodman Theatre then as an independent clothing designer and later as a nationally recognized custom-dye designer and instructor. Mrs. Crowe passed on that creative talent to her daughter, Laurel Ann Crowe, who often wore her mother's custom-made costumes for school plays and enjoyed acting and photography. The mother and daughter team were on their way to an ice-sculpting contest at a winter carnival in Wisconsin on Saturday when they were involved in a fatal two-car collision on Illinois Highway 173 near Harvard. Mrs. Crowe, 45, a longtime resident of Chicago and more recently of Harvard, and her daughter, 11, died shortly after the morning crash. Bill Crowe, Mrs. Crowe's husband and Laurel's father, said the two were extremely close. He said Laurel was a spirited, precocious girl--"almost her mother incarnate." A native of Highland Park, Mrs. Crowe graduated with a fine arts degree from Syracuse University in 1975. After graduation, she went to work at the Goodman Theatre. "She was fresh out of college and she was so full of energy, a hard worker and an extremely bright young woman," said Maggie Bodwell, who directed the Goodman's costume shop at the time. Outside of work, Mrs. Crowe took on jobs as a silk screener and clothing designer and was always open to creative jobs. After several years at the Goodman, Mrs. Crowe started her own line of custom women's clothing under the names of DeMichelis and Maids of Fabric. In the mid-1980s, she began specializing in custom-dye design for lace and silks, working to match unusual colors for fabric designers. Her daughter was similar to her mom in that she was artistic, energetic and outgoing, family members said. She was an honor-roll student in the 5th grade at Harvard Junior High School and held a green belt in tae kwon do. Last year, she took first place in a national tae kwon do competition she entered through a local martial arts school. "The thing I'll remember most is the winning smile she had," said her 5th grade teacher, Rick Koselka. Besides her husband, Mrs. Crowe is survived by her son, Sean; a stepson, David; a sister, Margaret Sheldon; and two brothers, Bob and Dan DeMichelis. Laurel Ann is survived by her brother Sean, and stepbrother David.