Memorial service to honor life, contributions of longtime Elginite Marlene Shales
A memorial service will be held Jan. 25 for longtime Elginite Marlene Shales, who died Nov. 24 at the age of 93.
A former nurse and Elgin City Council member, Shales moved to the city when she was 3 years old and lived in Elgin until moving to a nursing facility in Geneva in 2018.
Shales graduated from Elgin High School in 1949 before earning her registered nurse designation and later a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from the College of St. Francis in Joliet.
Her nursing career included time at Sherman Hospital and later as director of nursing at Four Seasons Nursing Home, patient coordinator at Jayne Shover Easter Seal Center, and executive director of the Well Child Conference of Elgin.
She was elected to the Elgin City Council for two terms in the 1980s. Mayor David Kaptain read a proclamation recognizing her commitments and contributions to the community during a recent city council meeting.
“Marlene will be remembered for her devotion, gentle nature and drive for fairness and justice,” Kaptain said during the Dec. 18 meeting. “Marlene Shales will be greatly missed by those in the Elgin community.”
Shales and her husband Jack, who passed away in 2018, were well-known for their philanthropy and charitable efforts in the community.
Her associations included the Elgin Junior Woman’s Club, Elgin Daycare Center, YWCA of Elgin, Community Crisis Center of Elgin, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Judson University, Jayne Shover Easter Seal Center, Gail Borden Library, the ECC Foundation, VNA of Fox Valley, United Way of Elgin, P.E.O. Elgin Chapter, Altrusa Club of Elgin, League of Women Voters, the U-46 Educational Foundation and numerous City of Elgin advisory committees.
Over the years, she was recognized with myriad accolades, including the Cosmopolitan Distinguished Service Award, the Elgin YWCA Marjorie Leonard Award for Volunteer and Community Service, the Elgin YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award and an Image Award from the city of Elgin.
The memorial service will be held on Jan. 25 at 11 a.m. at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Plato Center, where she was a longtime member.