Doreen Frances Chester passed away peacefully at her home in Spring Hill, Tennessee, on May 25, 2025, at the age of 82. She was surrounded by love and cared for with deep devotion by her husband John and her cousin and lifelong friend, Patty Larson.
Born in Akron, Ohio, to Dorothy and August Valentine, Doreen was a shy but radiant beauty with a sharp mind and a soft heart. A self-proclaimed “girly girl” who adored Nancy Drew mysteries, she carried a quiet confidence that sometimes masked her deep shyness. She was crowned Homecoming Queen at St. Mary’s High School—an early sign of the grace and poise that would define her life.
Doreen began her career in 1960 as the secretary to Dwight Hoddle at an all-male engineering firm, a rare and respected position for a young woman at the time. She later followed her heart—and her cousin Patty—to Los Angeles, where she found her dream job in the Accounting department at Disneyland. There, she discovered a lifelong love of Disney magic and delighted in the order and logic of numbers. Even as dementia touched her later years, her mathematical mind remained sharp, often surprising those around her.
In 1972, she married John Chester (for the first time!), embarking on a journey of love, laughter, and slow lunches. Known for her perfectly styled blonde hair—affectionately dubbed “Do-Do’s Do”—Doreen brought elegance and exactitude to everything she touched. She jitterbugged with composure, ate with intention, and maintained a standard of perfection that kept everyone on their toes.
A proud stepmother to Tommy, Johnny, and Michael, and loving aunt to Jimmy, Kenny, and Bobby Valentine, Doreen also found family in the many beloved pets she adored over the years—especially her cats Daisy May, Misty, Blackie, and Ginger. She found comfort in the small joys: chocolate, bunnies, cats, and a good meal with dear friends.
Doreen leaves behind her husband John Chester, cousin Patty Larson, brother and sister-in-law, George and Sharon Chester, dear friend Dianne Demko, and a legacy of love, precision, and quiet strength. She is preceded in death by her parents Dorothy and August Valentine, her cherished brother Jimmy, cousin Bob Larson, and a host of furry companions who surely greeted her in Heaven.
Her life will be remembered in every careful detail, in every perfect tease of hair, in every tender calculation of care. She was one of a kind and she will be deeply missed.