Elizabeth Doyle

Services and Interment for Elizabeth “Beth” Doyle were held at St. Michael the Archangel in Palatine on Friday, February 26, 2021.

God welcomed Beth with open arms into heaven after a six year battle with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Our Irish Lass was a class act. She embodied love, caring for others, had a quick wit with a sharp mind, and was the grooviest chick around. Growing up in Arlington Heights, she made many lifelong friends at St. James School. She loved visiting the family farm in Wisconsin, which they deeded and is now a nature sanctuary in perpetuity. Beth loved her Mother dearly, caring for her through her ALS disease; she was at her side until the end.

In her younger days, she volunteered at the Lutheran Nursing Home and loved talking with and caring for the elders. Throughout her life, she had many careers; including working with the horses she loved at Arlington Race Track, as a legal assistant, and as a manager of over 15 Dental Clinics in the US and overseas. She was a quick learner, intelligent, dedicated in her work, and put people at ease. The career she loved most was Landscape Designing (top 3 women in the US), which utilized her love for art, nature, and people. She was self-taught, drafting blueprint designs free hand, including sketching each unique plant, pools, stonework, etc. The install crews would find her alongside them, with her hands in the earth, overseeing each job. She treated everyone with respect and interest in their life from the guys with the shovels, to the contractors, co-workers, and customers. Her landscapes were on the cover of magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens, in movies (Mike Tyson’s Hangover House), celebrity homes (Kenny Rogers, Siegfried & Roy), to yards in Barrington and the North Shore.

Beth’s heart centered love on each of her many friends.

Her adventuresome side came out when she left her comfort zone, travelling to the Dominican Republic to visit her lifelong friend Annette in a village without electricity or running water. They had many misadventures, including driving the car front tire off a bridge over a raging river. They would take their last trip together, prior to entering the nursing home on an adventure to San Diego and Joshua Tree, where a choro cactus got stuck to Beth’s leg and it took a passerby with tools doing minor surgery on the path to remove it.

Beth had a deep love for her friend Steve, who introduced her to Harley riding. She loved being out on the open road and making many friends in the Harley world. Steve and Beth worked many professions together and volunteered with a non-profit pediatric cancer center. Steve was always there for her, a friend she cherished with all her heart.

Sue was her constant friend over the years, who really showed up when Beth declined in nursing homes over the last 3 years of her life. They would sing their favorite Michael Jackson songs at the top of their lungs. Beth loved music and being around people who were in the business; it was a profound part of her life.

Diane was a Godsend, their friendship grew deeper as she visited in the nursing home, taking Beth out of the home to have fun, and take her to many doctor appointments which showed true love in action.

Beth had a close relationship with her niece, Paulette. Beth peppered love on Paulette and her children; she was the best Auntie. Paulette was a constant in her life, at her side, doing the hard work of logistics during her time in various nursing homes, always there to care and lend a hand. That was no small task, while raising three small children and working.

Beth did not have an easy life; living with rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease, painful to bear. Yet she chose to give happiness and light to others, letting them know that they mattered, always the one to reach out to loved ones. She made a difference in our lives and we will forever carry her in our hearts.

Beth is preceded in death by her mother Joan Lundy, father Raymond Doyle, friends Pat and Dan Connelly. She is survived by her friends Annette Ademasu, Steve Amella, Sue Cleary, Diane Lein; nieces Paulette Lucario, Erika Doyle, Madeline Doyle, Rachael Longhofer; brothers Paul Doyle, Gregory Doyle, Michael Doyle; ex-husband Bob Donovan, and many other loved ones. Please consider a donation to an Alzheimer’s research foundation.

Beth’s wit was with her to the end.

“The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed.” — Bennett Cerf.