Amy Fontana, 48, passed away on November 19, 2024 after a battle with Metastatic Ocular Melanoma. 

Amy Hope Pickens was born on August 31, 1976 to John and Pam Pickens of DeKalb. A proud lifelong Barb, Amy graduated from DHS in 1994. After a “tour” of Illinois state schools, Amy earned her BS in Elementary Education in 2000 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 

Amy married her high school sweetheart, T. J. Fontana, on May 29, 1999 at St. Mary’s Church in DeKalb. 

Amy began her teaching career in D428 in August of 2000 at Clinton Rosette Middle School, before moving on to Founders and Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary Schools. Amy loved giving students new experiences through service projects and field trips. Once someone was a student in Amy’s class, they were one of “her kids” for life, and she kept in touch with many former students and their families over the years. In addition to teaching, Amy served on many District committees and curriculum teams, and was a proud member of the DCTA, serving as Public Relations Chair for many years. 

As much as Amy loved teaching, her favorite time was that spent with her family. Amy loved planning and taking road trips, short and long. She was often found researching the family’s next “adventure.” She also loved to be at home reading, cooking, gardening, and playing cards, and loved to attend her kids’ sports, theater, and music events. Amy enjoyed time with her nieces and nephews as well, and loved to be able to watch them grow into amazing people. 

Amy is survived by her husband, TJ; beloved sons TJ and Will; parents John and Pam Pickens of DeKalb; sister and closest friend Adrien (Dave) Fell of DeKalb; mother-in-law Nina Fontana of DeKalb; sister-in-law Jenni (Jonathan Martin) Fontana of LA; brother-in-law Steve (Kristin) Fontana of Batavia; nieces and nephews V and Molly Fell,  Bella, Enzo, Emilia, and Dante Fontana, and Nico and Aviana Martin; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many wonderful friends. 

Amy was preceded in death by her father-in-law Mario Fontana and grandparents John and Louise Pickens and Nestor and Mary Lawson, all of DeKalb.

Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 27, 2024, at Anderson Funeral Home in DeKalb.

Amy’s family would like to thank the outstanding medical professionals who have taken care of her throughout her life, especially Dr. James Hawkins, Dr. Sunandana Chandra, and Samantha Schuldt, APRN. 

In lieu of flowers, Amy wanted any donations to go to three local charities that support the bodies, minds, and spirits of students in D428. These are: Barb Food Mart (https://www.barbfoodmart.com,) DeKalb Education Foundation (https://dekalbeducationfoundation.org/,) and Youth Outlook (https://youth-outlook.org/.)