Dolores K. Spapperi
Obituary's Biography:
Dolores K. Spapperi, 93, a resident of Round Lake, IL, passed away surrounded by her family, June 2, 2025, at her home. She was born March 3, 1932, in Chicago, IL, to Fran and Erna (nee: Bauer) Juganheimer.
Dolores was a graduate of Grant High School, Fox Lake, IL, and Northern Illinois University with a Masters in Home Economics and a minor in Vocational Arts. She worked for the Crystal Lake School District for 34 years teaching home economics, chemistry and physics. After retirement Dolores volunteered at CLC teaching English as a second language for many years. Dolores loved to shop and find a bargain! She exercised regularly at Snap Fitness with her friends until she was 93. She enjoyed gardening, traveling and cooking.
Dolores is survived by her brothers-in-law, Ron and wife Sandie and Don Spapperi, her nieces and nephew Laurel and husband Daryl and son Grant Haider, Jeffrey and wife Archelle and daughter Freya Spapperi, Julie and husband Kent Morton, Becky and husband Rui and children Isabella and Preston Winters, cousins Tony Sereno, Susie Brown, Taylor and husband Bjorn Jaranson and family, Devon and Kelly Brown, George Laloganes. In addition, many special friends Dave and Mary Davis, Kathy Allen, Emily Gibson, Kim Sortman and the gals at Snap Fitness and many caring neighbors. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Ramon “Ray” Spapperi, whom she wed on June 13, 1959, and Pam Spapperi the wife of Don Spapperi and Eva Sereno Cousin and wife of Tony Sereno.
A visitation is scheduled for Friday, June 13, 2025, at Strang Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, 410 E. Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Highland Memorial Park Cemetery in Libertyville, IL, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lurie Children’s Hospital and the ASPCA. For more information log on to www.strangfuneral.org or contact 847-223-8122.
My dear friend Dolores, I miss you so much already! You were an amazing woman! Such a loving, generous soul! You were always thinking of others and always willing to lend a helping hand! I am going to miss our shopping outings together (Home Goods, Oakbrook). I already miss not having you in exercise class at Snap! You were so full of life and found joy in everything! You are my hero and my role model! You’ve taught me a lot just by being you! I thank the good Lord for bringing us together 9 years ago! I love you my friend and will never forget you!
Kim Sortman
Dolores was a good friend of mine, mostly after we retired. We both worked at Lundahl Middle School in Crystal Lake Illinois. She was a Home Ec Teacher for many years, while I was one of the Secretaries in the office. She was an excellent teacher and well liked by the students as well as the staff. After retirement, I started arranging a luncheon for the retirees once a year. it was a good way to catch up what each retiree was doing, as there were many changes for everyone. After a few years, another gal volunteered to take over organizing the luncheons.
After retirement, Dolores bought a home in Green Valley, Arizona, and enjoyed her winters there for quite a few years, and recently sold it and continued living in her home in Round Lake, IL. In recent years, we enjoyed having lunch together with other friends in addition to seeing each other at the Lundahl Retiree Luncheon.
Dolores was more of a fashion model, she loved clothes and wanting her hair to look good too!
She took care of herself and exercised with some other friends for many years.
We kept in touch through each year and enjoyed “catching up” with each other. She definitely will be missed, not only by me, but others as well. She is at peace now and joining her husband, Ray, in heaven. She was a widow for many years. They had no children.
I met Dolores for the first time 7 years ago at my gym. She was one of my oldest gym members and she was morning regular. She enjoyed working out on the treadmill and the bikes.
Not only did she enjoy our fitness classes but she was also an excellent dancer at my Zumba classes. Her favorite song was Bailando by Enrique Iglesias.
For 5 years she rarely missed our sitting strength class on Wednesdays. Dolores my dear I miss you very much, your beautiful soul, your sense of humor and your zest for life. I always told her that I wanted to be like her when I grew older.
We had started a tradition at the gym to always celebrate her birthday after class and the last one in March this year was so meaningful.
Thank you for your friendship, your kind words of encouragement and your positive spirit. Love you always Bennie