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Obituary Detail

October 03, 1946 February 19, 2022
October 03, 1946 -- February 19, 2022

Marlene Dabrowski, Age:75

Marlene Dabrowski, age 75, of Park Ridge, Illinois, passed away February 19, 2022, at 5:09 a.m., after a valiant battle with cancer.  She was born in Ĺšniadowo, Poland, on October 3, 1946.  Beloved daughter of parents Daniela Wawrzyniak and Edward Kwiecinski, and step-daughter to Leon Wawrzyniak.  Former wife of Stefan Dabrowski.  She is survived by her loving son Steven A. Dabrowski, daughter Caroline M. Dabrowski, brother Ryszard Kwiecinski, and sister-in-law Ala Kwiecinski.     

 

Upon her passing, numerous persons who had known Marlene expressed that she was the best person they had ever met-the most loving and generous, the most kind, the most loyal and honest, the best humored.  They were right to say so.

 

Marlene’s beautiful life began in Poland shortly after the devastation of World War II.  Germany had destroyed much of Poland’s cities and villages, and Marlene played games with childhood friends in its bombed buildings and ruins.  Marlene’s extended family lived in the Polish countryside and she visited their farms, playing with horses, chickens, goats, cats and dogs, and riding in horse-drawn wagons.  This is likely when her lifelong love of animals began.   

 

In the 1960s Marlene emigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago, Illinois.  She graduated from Madonna high school and worked in secretarial and retail-store positions and earned an interior-design certification.  She was a beauty and enjoyed social life, love, fashion, beaches, outings, parties, cocktails, restaurants, camping, long drives, sightseeing, and boat rides.  She would travel back to Poland to visit her brother Ryszard, with whom she went on adventures, once even braving the danger of a cross from East to West Germany in the middle of the night.  She took every opportunity to indulge in the beauty and adventure of life.   

 

Marlene was ambitious and in the 1970s she returned to Poland to attend dental school.  At the time, regulations in the U.S. allowed a dentist with a foreign dental degree to practice in the United States.  However, during her course of study that changed, and upon her return to the U.S. she had to attend an additional four years of dental school to earn a degree stateside.  Marlene’s matriculation into Loyola Dental School was not easy.  It was generally accepted at the time that women should not be dentists, and Marlene had to make an appointment with the Dean of the school to discuss her application.  Over his objections, she convinced him to allow her a place in the incoming class.  After graduation Marlene’s dental practice thrived, first in Chicago, then in Des Plaines, and finally in Mount Prospect.  She was an astute businesswoman and a valued member of the community.    

 

Marlene married Stefan Dabrowski while studying dentistry in Poland, and remained married to him until his death in 2006.  For their honeymoon they drove throughout Europe-Greece, Italy, and more-tenting each night in a different town.  Marlene had two children, Caroline and Steven.  She devoted her life to her children’s happiness, care, and well-being.  She also had a great love of animals, donating every year to charities, and she had many pets who adored her.  Marlene found one of those pets, a doberman named Lala (“Doll” in Polish), with a fractured leg in the streets of Chicago.  She paid for the surgery to fix the fracture and Lala became a beloved member of the family.  

 

In later life Marlene enjoyed spending quiet time with her children, listening to stories of their unfolding lives, providing sage advice, and helping them plan for the future.  She loved the holidays, and cooked spectacular Thanksgiving and traditional Polish Christmas Eve meals.  She kept her mind active reading novels (John Steinbeck and Jane Austen were favorites), history, and doing crossword puzzles.  She also relished film, Jeopardy, and television westerns from the 1950s and 1960s, which reminded her of her youth.  She continued to work as a dentist until late November 2021, just two and a half months prior to her passing.

 

Marlene’s memory lives on in the hearts of her loving children, brother, sister-in-law, and all those she touched with her intelligence, grace, and love.

Condolences

Danny & Diane Baran December 26, 2021

Friend Lincolnwood , Illinois

Rest In Peace Donny Baby