Merilyn Faith Daniels (nee Goodwin), age 92, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2024, at Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, IL. She was born May 10, 1932, in Chicago IL, only child of George and Bertha Ueland Goodwin. After graduating as valedictorian of Kelvyn Park High School, she attended Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During that time, she met and fell in love with New Jersey transplant and WWII Army-Air Force veteran, Thad "Ted" Daniels, Sr. in 1953. They married on June 18, 1954, moving to Wood Dale in November of 1956. They enjoyed 48 amazing years of marriage until he preceded her in death in December 2002.

Family was everything to Merilyn. She is survived by daughters, Lynne Starns of Knoxville TN, Commander Dianne Daniels, US Navy - Retired, of Gold Beach OR, and Elaine Daniels of Wood Dale; daughter-in-law, Judy Daniels; grandchildren Holly (Dan) Ryan, Charles "Chuck" Swoape, David A. Daniels, Luke Daniels, and Caroline Daniels; and great grandsons Shane Ryan and Garrett Ryan. Along with Merilyn's husband, Ted, sons David "Dave" Lee Daniels and Thad Daniels Jr., sons-in-law John Starns and Doug Bewall predeceased her in 1976, 2023, 2014 and 2020, respectively. Sadly, she also lost dear friends Mary Lou Nelson and Irene Kossack, her parents and much-loved uncle, Thomas Ueland.

Merilyn's life was filled with travel – seeing the world, often via cruises, with daughters Dianne and Elaine and much of Chicagoland to view Dave and Thad's basketball and baseball games. She loved music – playing cello with the Chicagoland Youth Symphony Orchestra and "tickling the ivories" to the joy of Ted, Elaine, and her great grandsons. She will be remembered for her multiple years of leadership within the Girl Scouts, long-standing membership on the Wood Dale School District No. 7 Board as well as other city and county services groups and her participation in the Red Hat Society.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 19th 2004 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm with a brief Remembrance Service 3:00 pm at Salt Creek Golf Club at 1051 N. Prospect Avenue, Wood Dale, IL 60191. Her final resting place will be beside her beloved husband in Chicago's Mt. Olive Cemetery during a private family service.

Anyone wishing to remember Merilyn's life may do so through donation to one of her favorite charities: the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org) or Breakthrough T1D (formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or JDRF) at https://www.breakthrought1d.org/.