Dorothy S. Gabbei

Dorothy Gabbei ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home on Mar. 9, 2026.Dorothy S. Gabbei was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on March 10, 1922, and passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026. Dorothy grew up in Elmhurst. A National Honour Society graduate of York Community High School, she pursued furtherstudies at Northwestern University, the American Conservatory of Music, Cosmopolitan Schoolof Music, and Harper College.Early in her career, Dorothy worked for ten years as secretary to G. D. Bushnell, a loan officer atAmerican National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago. After dedicating many years to raisingher four children, she later returned to the workforce as a medical transcriptionist and eventuallyserved as a Benefits Specialist with Amersham Holdings.Music was a lifelong passion for Dorothy. As a child, she participated in the forerunner of theGlen Ellyn Children's Chorus. She later served as a rehearsal soloist for the DuPage SymphonyChorus under conductor Kurt Herbert Adler and performed as a soloist with the Oriana Singers.She was also a devoted and longtime member of the choirs at First Congregational Church ofElmhurst and First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights.Dorothy was active in many cultural and civic organizations, including the Chicago Music Clubof Women and women's clubs in Elmhurst, Illinois, and Manhasset, New York. She was alsodeeply involved with the Lyric Opera of Chicago through its Wheaton, Northwest, and Barringtonchapters, serving for many years as a board member.She was the loving wife of Roger Gabbei (deceased) and the devoted mother of four children:Diane Glenham, Gail Ballengee (Howard), and Richard Gabbei., and the late Ronald (Jeanine).She was also a delighted grandmother to Matthew, Jessica, Jackson, and Sophia.Dorothy lived by the words:"To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false toany man."-Polonius in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.A celebration of Dorothy's life will be held at a later date.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.