Dolores Mae Maurer (nee Vandevelde), of Oak Lawn, IL, completed her life's journey of 90 years on March 22, 2024.

Dolores was preceded in death by her father Lawrence Vandevelde and mother, Lucille Vandevelde-O'Conner, as well as her brother Robert and life partner Marshall "George" Peterson. She is survived by her two children, William (Debbie) and Carole (Frederick) Boulais, as well as her two grandchildren, Paige (Adam) Jedrzejak and Brooke Boulais. She is also survived by many of her closest friends, nieces, and nephews.

Dolores was born on November 28th, 1933 to Lawrence and Celina Vandevelde (nee Canivez) in Chicago, IL during the great depression. She would spend a few of her childhood years living on a farm with her Grandma Mary in Coello, IL, before moving in with her father and adoptive mother, Lucille. Dolores graduated from Gage Park High School in 1951 where she was a part of the honors club, service club, science club, and senior girls club, a Junior Red Cross Delegate, and a member of the G.A.A..

In the early 1960's, Dolores married and had her two wonderful children, Bill and Carole. She loved being an involved parent and mother, making sure her kids had a home cooked meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dolores joined the PTA and volunteered at Donald L. Morrill School to be even more involved in her children's academic life. She developed life long friendships during her own school years and even more during her children's, with the women from the PTA. Watching her children grow up and become successful was something Dolores was always proud of, which proved she was a great mother, all on her own.

Dolores started working at Steven's Bedding in the late 1970's and moved on to Wheatland Tube, where she would eventually retire from. She found herself going out dancing with friends every weekend, eventually meeting George on the dance floor where they fell in love. They both loved vacationing and traveling with friends, mostly to Las Vegas where Dolores had a love of cheap slot machines, betting pennies or nickels to try and come home a big winner. George introduced Dolores to many new things, which ultimately created a deep love for the arts. They were avid members of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and they held season tickets at many local theaters.

Christmas was Dolores's favorite holiday as gift giving was her ultimate love language. She would thrive during spring and summer days when she could be tending to her bountiful balcony garden, going on walks, feeding ducks, or watching baseball on tv. Becoming a Nana was one of Dolores's greatest joys in life. She loved having her granddaughters, Paige and Brooke, over as often as possible. Dolores would get to share her love of cooking a simple meal while dancing around the kitchen to ABBA or a good old fashioned boogie. She would teach them fun card games and how to be a frugal shopper, always clipping coupons. Getting all dressed up for a night at the local theater was one of the greatest times to share with her grandchildren.

Dolores settled into a long and happy retirement in Oak Lawn, IL, with George. She would spend her days reading romance mystery novels and hand writing letters to friends and family, often with a few newspaper clippings attached. Tuning in daily to watch Jeopardy was a must, always trying to beat George with how many answers she knew. Dolores was very exclusive when it came to shopping. You could always find her browsing racks at her two favorite stores, TJMaxx and Hallmark. She loved being around her friends and family, always bringing a smile to everyone's face.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The SHARE Foundation ( https://sharefoundation.org ). Dolores always made a donation to this charity in honor of friends and family she knew after they passed away and we would love to carry that on for her.

Memorial Visitation Saturday, April 27, from 10:00 AM until the time of the Memorial Service at 12:30 PM, at Thornridge Funeral Home (Janusz Family Funeral Service) 14318 S. LaGrange Rd. (Northbound traffic: U-turn permitted at 143rd St.).