Doreen Ellen Boylan

Doreen Boylan, a woman of unforgettable spirit, passed away on August 25th, leaving an extraordinary legacy of love, wit, laughter, and unwavering support. She truly "lit up a room" with her beautiful smile and energy. Fiercely loyal to her family and friends, Doreen always stepped up without hesitation to offer caring and loving support to those she cherished. She will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.

A devoted fan of the city of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs, Doreen embraced every moment and loved to have fun. Her laughter was contagious to all around her as was her enthusiasm for life. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, the thrill of a great mystery (and could often be found watching Columbo and The Thin Man movies), and an ice cold miller lite in a bottle.

A natural-born leader, Doreen embraced her ability from a young age as president of her Girl Scout troop. This leadership quality continued throughout her life. She could organize a bridge party at the drop of a hat, assist the grocery store manager with some helpful inventory suggestions, and lead through challenges with the aplomb of a 5-star general. Her leadership also shined throughout her work life, which began at a young age car-hopping and modeling. After moving to Dallas, she joined Junior Achievement (“JA”) as a receptionist and quickly worked her way up to a management position. She enjoyed a long tenure at JA, with a career spanning more than 25 years, and met many life-long friends.

Known for her quick wit and impressive card shark moves (especially in pinochle and bridge), Doreen was also creative, smart, and enjoyed flashing some sass from time to time. She was a “steel magnolia” with an incredible sense of style, charm and beauty on the outside, and an endless supply of grit, strength and courage on the inside.

Beyond her vibrant personality, Doreen was a great cook, a power shopper, and above all, a wonderful loving and supportive mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, great aunt, and friend. Her legacy of love and laughter will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. She will be in our hearts forever.

Doreen is preceded in death by her parents and survived by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brother, nieces, great nieces and great nephew. She is also survived by a wide circle of friends who were touched by her fun-loving nature and generous spirit.

Her family sends a special thank you to the staff at Prestonwood Court for taking great care of her these past four years.

A Celebration of Life service to honor Doreen will be held on Saturday, October 25th from 12 pm - 3 pm at Rosebud Lemont, 12350 Derby Rd., Lemont, IL. 60439.

We invite you to share your thoughts and stories about Doreen.