Eileen M. Nelson (Dwyer) nee Donahue, age 88, formerly of Flossmoor and Oak Park, IL, passed away peacefully in Naples, FL on November 6, with family by her side and to the sounds of Irish hymns and songs. She was born on May 15, 1932 in Chicago, IL to her loving late parents John C. Donahue and Irene (nee Twohey). Beloved wife of the late Ronald Nelson and the late James "Jim" Dwyer; loving mother of Julie (Charlie), John, and Kevin (Marie) and the late James Jr. "Fritz" Dwyer (Pamela),; stepmother to Michael (Lorrie), Mary Ann (John) Lappe, Kevin, James (Mary), Christopher (Sue), Scott (Carol), Melissa (Craig), Bryan (Elizabeth), Todd (Anne), Matthew, and the late Maureen Kanara (Edward); cherished grandmother to Jennifer (Alex) Derrickson, Patrick (Fiance Julie) Dwyer, Sean, Matthew, Meghan Dwyer, and Stephen Kowalewski and great grandmother, aunt, cousin, and godmother to many and dear sister to the late Jacqueline Broderick. Eileen was a member of St. Luke’s Catholic Church in River Forest and formerly of Infant Jesus of Prague in Flossmoor. She was a graduate of Trinity High School in River Forest class of 1950 and attended Rosary College in River Forest. Eileen volunteered from 1980 to 1998 at The Village Door in Homewood, IL which benefited cancer research. She was a member of Flossmoor Country Club and Oak Park Country Club. Eileen was athletic early on. As a young girl, she played basketball and softball. Her late husband Jim was also a remarkable athlete from St. Ignatius, the two of them were a great match! She was as an outstanding tennis player and a competitive runner in the Chicagoland area. Eileen didn’t pick up running until her mid 40’s but once she did, she was truly dedicated. She ran 6 miles a day, every day, usually with her dear friends Tony and Kay Golden either in the woods or around town. Later on, they would run the lakefront on Saturday mornings starting in Lincoln Park. One of her favorite races was the Park Forest Scenic 10 mile. Eileen was a force to be reckoned with and held the national record in her age group for several years. At age 65, her time was 1:15:01, 3 minutes better than the previous record held and a 7.5 minute-mile pace!! Eileen picked up the game of golf in her later years with her late husband Ron. During the winter, they usually played 9 holes at Olde Florida in Naples and in the summer at OPCC in Oak Park. They traveled to Augusta, GA for the Masters Tournament for many years and in 2011, journeyed across the pond to Wimbledon. Eileen held a special place in her heart for all her girlfriends from Trinity H.S. The group of friends always kept in touch and made sure they spent quality time together whenever possible. They had annual gatherings often in Lake Geneva and also took trips to CA and the Bahamas. Some of these friendships spanned over 70 years! She had many close friends and neighbors that enriched her life in countless ways. Eileen had a great appreciation for sunsets and especially loved the afterglow. She also enjoyed crafts, yard work, garden walks and garage sales. She was always on the hunt for a great bargain and was forever “organizing!” To leave a lasting tribute in Eileen’s memory the family asks In lieu of flowers, donations to Misericordia (misericordia.com) are appreciated. A memorial visitation for both Eileen Dwyer and her son, James E. “Fritz” Dwyer, Jr., who passed away on November 26, 2020, will be held on Thursday, May 13, 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM at the Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville. The Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville. A procession to SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery for Eileen’s inurnment will follow the Mass.