Dorothy Dritlein (née Wheeler), 93, of Downers Grove, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 7, 2026. Born on December 4, 1932, Dorothy was the loving wife of Arthur ‘Artie’ Dritlein for 70 years and the beloved mother of Keith (Cheryl) Dritlein, Debbie Brazzale, Perry (Linda) Dritlein, Craig Dritlein and the proud grandmother of Nicole (Trey), Ryan (Rachael), Rebecca (Zack), Patrick, Kurt, and Ashley (Edwin), and eight great-grandchildren.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Artie; her mother, Clara; her siblings, Billie and Charmaine; and her son-in-law, Brien. She is survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Dorothy was born and raised in Chicago. She loved swimming, skating, and singing in the choir. During high school, she worked as a carhop, delivering burgers and shakes on roller skates to customers in their cars.

Dorothy graduated from Calumet High School in 1952. Following graduation, she worked as a telephone operator for Illinois “Ma” Bell Telephone, during a time when operators were needed to connect calls.

One summer night, she and her girlfriends went to the Forest Lounge in Blue Island. There, she was introduced to the entertainer “Artie Lyne,” and it was love at first sight. They married in January 1955 and started their family soon after.

Dorothy worked hard raising their four children. The family enjoyed camping and boating, which led them to purchase a cottage on Fox Lake, where they created decades of memories with family and friends.

Dorothy also worked as a sales associate at various retail stores, including Jerold’s Bridal Salon. Later, she was hired and trained as a Podiatric Medical Assistant at Downers Grove Podiatry Associates. Following that, she was very proud to work at the DuPage Podiatry Center for more than 20 years, and they became her second family.

Dorothy retired at the age of 70 to spend more time at home with family, enjoying evenings on the patio with Irene, her neighbor and best friend of 40 years. She traveled to see her family in California and Colorado and enjoyed vacationing in Florida. But her favorite pastime was shopping – where finding the best bargain brought her great joy.

Dorothy was loved by all who knew her. She was loving, kind, generous, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Her faith in God was strong. Although she faced many challenges, her cheery outlook on life never wavered. She lived by the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” She will be greatly missed.

A visitation will be held on Friday, September 25^th, 2026, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, at Cappetta’s West Suburban Funeral Home, 4920 Main St., Downers Grove, IL 60515. Chapel services will commence at 7:30pm. Inurnment will be held privately at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL. For additional information please call 630-852-8000 or visit us at westsuburbanfh.com

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Dorothy’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, Lighthouse Hospice and Palliative Care, or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Donations may be made through their respective websites.