Esther M. Fennelly

Esther M. Fennelly, 94, of Davenport, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf surrounded by her daughters.

A celebration of Esther's life will be held from 2 until 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at the Circle Tap. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to King's Harvest Dog Rescue.

Esther Mary Ortiz was born on September 22, 1931, in Anthony and Pauline (Lopez) Ortiz.

She was united in marriage to Thomas Joseph Fennelly on July 22, 1951, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Davenport. They shared over 69 years of marriage and memories together before Tom’s death on September 14, 2020.

Esther was a homemaker, checker at Eagles, and florist at Flower City, which led to her opening her own wallpapering business called “Esther On A Roll”. It is here that she and Tom partnered for many years, working together to establish a successful business.

Esther enjoyed golfing, swimming, and weekly movie days with her husband Tom. She was always rooting for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and she adored her faithful dog, Auggie. She loved and looked forward to holidays with her family and grandkids. They also enjoyed travelling, especially wintering in South Padre Island, Texas for seventeen years.

Survivors include her daughters: Sandra Inskeep, Alpha, Illinois, and Kim (Bryan) Kauk, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; grandchildren: Thomas (Ashley) Moyers, Justin (Jenna) Inskeep, Eugene Hoefer, Brock Fennelly, and Feline Fennelly; great-grandchildren: Sydney, Kennedy, Boston, Ben, Leiland, and Lyrical; brother and sisters-in-law, Fred (Linda) Oritz and Lois Ortiz, and many of the extended Fennelly family.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her sons Donald, Thomas, and Shawn Fennelly, a son-in-law, Ronald Inskeep, her parents, and siblings Tony Ortiz and Arlene Witters. May they rest in peace.

The Fennelly family would like to thank Esther’s dear friends who looked after her: Mary Lou Sampson, Tom and Kathy Arensdorf, Gwen and Bert Oosting, and her Hawkeye buddy, Aunt Josie.