Sonia "Sunny" Branko

Sonia (Sunny) Joan Branko passed away peacefully on June 18, 2024, under the care of Suncrest Hospice and The Laurel at Vernon Hills Memory Care. Despite living with Alzheimer's she never lost her spunk and continued to have an opinion about everything and everyone. Sunny grew up on the North Shore of Chicago. She attended schools in Winnetka and Evanston. She worked at many jobs including sales positions at the Merchandise Mart, the Apparel Mart and later at a construction company where she and her parents purchased a home, and she advised new home owners with décor decisions. She was always interested in fashion and made a point to dress fashionably. She enjoyed being the life of the party and when she and her husband, Bill, retired to Florida she became very involved with The Suncoast New Neighbors club in Clearwater acting as a program coordinator and president making many new friends. She enjoyed any kind of entertainment and had season tickets to the symphony. She lived in Florida for 35 years and moved back to the Chicago area in 2018 to be closer to her family.

She was born July 11,1928, in Chicago, IL. to the late Adolf and Thina (Johannson) Larson. 

Sunny is survived by her loving family, her daughter and son-in-law, Holly and John Schmid; grandchildren, Jacqueline (Scott) Walton, Abby Schmid, Christine (Paul Jacob) Schmid, Zachary (Ashley) Berry, and Dylan Berry; great grandchildren, Sean Walton, Liam Walton, Eilley Walton, Natalie Berry, and Mack Berry. In addition to her parents, Sunny was preceded in death by her husband, William "Bill" Branko; and her son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Patricia Berry.

Interment will be private. Arrangements entrusted to Sambrano Funeral & Cremation, Gurnee, IL. Please sign the online guestbook at LauraSambranoFunerals.com; 847-571-7719.