Doreen M. Nelson

Doreen Marie Nelson, known to so many as Booga, age 75 of Winfield, IL, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 23rd, 2025 after a short battle with cancer.

Doreen was born on the southside of Chicago, in the back seat of a 1949 Chevy, very eager to start her mission of helping people. As the middle of seven children, she was the bond that held that motley crew together. She was the planner, social director and caregiver of the family; with her siblings, her own children and nieces & nephews, and the constant revolving door of live-in guests she opened her home to, jokingly calling her house “The Home for the Wayward”.

Doreen’s Catholic faith was the center of her life. She began helping out at church at the ripe age of 5, when she would work with the nuns at St. Stephen’s prepare the classroom. This began her life-long service to the Catholic church at countless parishes in the suburbs of Chicago: St. Irene’s in Warrenville, St. Mary Immaculate in Plainfeld where she created the Art & Environment Ministry, St. Mary’s in West Chicago and mostly recently Resurrection Church in Wayne, where she took great joy in guiding new initiates into the faith and also assisting those at the end of their life journey. Her life of service knew no bounds; it was once joked that her latest project was making drapes for the homeless.

Doreen was a force. In a male-dominated field, Doreen was the 1st female appointed Assistant Executive Director of the Election Commission of DuPage County. She devoted over twenty-five years of service to the Election Commission, held numerous leadership positions with IACREOT and served as President of AECOI. It was often said that Doreen knew everyone in DuPage County and could rebuild the election database by memory if needed. She couldn’t go to a grocery store, restaurant or bar without running into someone she knew.

Doreen lit up every room she entered and had an incredible zest for life. She loved roller coasters and went skydiving on her 50th. She was an incredible hostess, famous for her egg casserole and velvet hammers, and her cocktail of choice was a vodka and Diet Coke. She took immense joy in spending time with her Granddaughters, never missing a softball game or volleyball match. She loved to travel, taking yearly trips to St. Croix and making a memorable trip to Lithuania with her daughter and nephew, where they reunited with distant cousins.

Doreen is welcomed into heaven with open arms by her parents, Edward and Lucille Shemezis, her ex-husband Terry Nelson, her sisters Geraldine Everett and Darlene Newman, her brothers Dale and Dwayne Shemezis, her nephews Ed and Doug Everett and Danny Shemezis, and her brothers-in-law Elliott Everett, Doug Newman and Rick Lang.

Doreen leaves behind her children: Kirsten Nelson and Terry & Nicole Nelson, her beloved granddaughters Emma Ellen and Reese Marie, her siblings Denise Lang and David & Gayle Shemezis, her sister-in-law Judy McWilliams, nieces and nephews Tony Shemezis, Keelan & Bryan Mastick, Amanda & Justin Vrany, Chris & Lauren Lang, Cory & Amber Lang and Ryan & Kyle Newman.

Visitation Friday, November 28 from 2:30pm until time of Mass 4:00pm at Resurrection Church 20W350 Army Trail Rd., Wayne, IL. Doreen asked folks not wear black as this is a celebration of her life. Following services cremation private at Countryside Crematory. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Resurrection Church Art and Environment Ministry with a check payable to Resurrection Church, memo line Art and Environment Ministry in memory of Doreen Nelson mailed to Resurrection Church 30W350 Army Trail Rd., Wayne, IL 60184. Info (630)289-7575