Jean M. Duchaj

Jean Marie (née Jurella) Duchaj, 83, passed away peacefully on Sunday in Elgin. Jean was born in a farmhouse in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, the second of two children to Paul and Violet Jurella. Moving to Illinois in 1960, Jean met and fell in love with Andrew Duchaj. They married in 1963 and had two daughters, settling first in Elgin. As a stay-at-home mother for many years, Jean was enthusiastically involved in her daughters' activities, including room mothers and music parents. In Hampshire, where the family moved in 1976, she co-founded a new Girl Scouts troop. Later, she worked full-time for the Kane County Employment Department and finished her education, earning an Associate's degree in early childhood learning. A lifelong devoted Catholic, Jean was active in her churches from Visitation parish in Mount Pleasant through St. Charles Borromeo in Hampshire, where she served as a eucharistic minister and a catechism teacher. Jean was known for being a good friend and a kind soul. Instances include feeding an orphaned lamb a bottle while rocking her to sleep in the house, as well as quietly dropping off holiday meals to less fortunate families. She loved animals, especially dogs and cats and the pandas she never actually got to keep but visited when she could in zoos. She had a multitude of creative talents, including writing, painting, needlework, quilting, and photography. Jean is survived by her husband and best friend, Andrew, of Hampshire, and her daughters Karen, of Wheaton, and Sharon (Christopher Loy), of Batavia. She is preceded in death by her sister, Geraldine Vann. Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 25th, at Fredrick Funeral Home, 284 Park St., in Hampshire, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue at the Funeral Home the following morning, Wednesday, August 26th, from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial held at 11:00 AM, located at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 297 E Jefferson ave., in Hampshire. Burial will follow at St. Charles Borromeo Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean's name to animal charities, especially Animal House Shelter in Huntley, Illinois.

Jean M. Duchaj

October 11, 1942 - August 16, 2026