May 15, 2025
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Barrington woman inks end-of-life planner

By TRACY GRUEN

Karen Lea Cline was forced to close her business in Barrington's Ice House Mall when she faced cancer trouble. Now, Cline is selling organizational life planners called "If I Croak" on Amazon.com, which can be used to maintain important information for running a home, facing an illness, or to record end of life wishes. (Photo provided)

Despite several health challenges, Karen Cline of Barrington is still going strong.

Cline is the owner of Lea Image Studio, which had been located at the Icehouse Mall in Barrington. It’s a business that she is passionate about and now operates out of her home.

After suffering from sarcoidosis, breast cancer and thyroid cancer, Cline closed the retail location for Lea Image Studio, but she still does makeup, skin care and image consulting from her home.

“I just loved how the makeup made people feel,” Cline said. “I always loved helping people.”

In addition to her own health problems, Cline’s mother died at age 58 of breast cancer. That struggle inspired her to write a book, “If I Croak, The Things You Should Know.” It is now selling on Amazon.com.

The book offers advice to people about managing affairs while battling an illness and includes a deluxe storage box for important documents. A binder helps people organize information about living wills, benefits, emergency information, liabilities, insurance policies, personal requests, photographs and much more.

“It pushed me to want to stay more organized with my own health care,” Cline said of her mother’s breast cancer fight and putting the book together.

Julie Aceto of Oak Brook, a friend of Cline’s, said there’s really no other book like hers out there.

“This book has it all in there,” Aceto said. “It’s done in a fun way, in a positive way.”

“Whatever is needed to run your life will be in this book,” said Chris Cline, Karen’s husband and owner of Cline Printing in Elk Grove Village. He said his wife’s life experiences have helped her in her career endeavors.

Before opening her studio, Cline also worked as a nurse for several years and was a model who won the Mrs. Illinois America title in 1998. She also has a background in gymnastics.

In addition to everything else she does, Cline puts gift boxes together with services and products for contestants in the Mrs. Illinois American and Ms. Illinois Teen All American pageants.

Cline said a highlight of winning the Mrs. Illinois America title was being able to raise awareness about breast cancer, Rett syndrome and other ailments.

Aceto said she’s proud of her friend.

“She has been going through a lot of struggles,” she said. “I’m so proud of her.”