By Nick Gale, WLS-AM News

(CHICAGO) Brenda Barnes passed away Tuesday at Edward Hospital in Naperville after suffering a stroke. Barnes was a longtime executive at Pepsi who rose to become the president and CEO before leaving to focus on her family in 1997.

In 2004 she started as president of Downers Grove based Sara Lee but suffered a stroke about six years in. She resigned six months after that.

Barnes was a graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island. She was 63.

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