Dorinda Hummel-Johansson

Dorinda E. Hummel-Johansson, 57, of Davenport, heroically passed away, Monday, November 25, 2024, at the home her father built, surrounded by her adoring family, after a valiant fight against cancer. 

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial for Dorinda will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, Davenport. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Davenport. Visitation will be held from 4 until 7 p.m. Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, downtown Davenport, with a prayer service at the conclusion. There will be an additional visitation from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass Tuesday in the gathering space at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lars-Erik Johansson Education Fund. 

Dorinda Elise Hummel was born on October 3, 1967, on the Naval base in Great Lakes, Illinois, the oldest of nine children born to Diana (Lavacek) and William G. Hummel, Jr. She graduated from Assumption High School in 1986 and attended the University of Iowa and Scott Community College. Dorinda married Lars-Peter Johansson in the summer of 1998 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Davenport. Their love was fiery and pure in every sense of the meaning. 

Dorinda’s long and successful career in fashion and retail began when she was a teenager. Her work ethic cannot be over exaggerated, as she managed numerous high-end retail clothing stores over more than a 40-year career in fashion and was consistently one of the top retail saleswomen in Chicago. Despite her busy career, she rarely missed one of her son’s hockey practices or games, as being a mother to her darling Lars-Erik was her greatest joy in life. Her love for her son was boundless and he was the most precious blessing in her life. Her Lars-Erik was not just part of her world – he was her entire world and the best thing in her life. They were best friends. 

Dorinda had a vibrant, radiant approach to life. She loved music, dancing, drawing, sunbathing, and all things from the 1970s and 1980s. She lit up every room she was in. Her outward beauty was beyond compare, but even more, the beauty from within. She made everyone feel beautiful, important, hopeful, inspired, and loved. Her strength and faith in God and her love of family and friends was immeasurable, but so deeply felt. Dorinda found the good in everyone. She had a generous and empathetic soul and enjoyed volunteering to help those in need. During her time in Chicago, she was a member of the Catholic Service Board and volunteered with St. Anthony Catholic Church’s care ministry and at Holy Name Cathedral. She also volunteered with Dress for Success to help homeless people obtain high-quality clothes for job interviews. Dorinda and her son volunteered at soup kitchens and handed out food on the holidays. For many years, she was a big supporter of the Smile Train, an organization that supports cleft lip and palate care for children in need around the world. During the pandemic, Dorinda baked cookies for the homeless on a weekly basis. She also volunteered at Cinderella’s Cellar Resale Shop in Davenport. Finally, Dorinda was very active in Alcoholics Anonymous and was gaining the knowledge to help people on the same journey she had gone through. All of this emphasizes the consistent, selfless nature of who Dorinda was as a person, and she was very well-loved, respected, and adored by the community as a result. 

Those left to honor her memory are her son, Lars-Erik Johansson; mother, Diana Hummel, both of Davenport; siblings: William G. (Kelly) Hummel III, Elmhurst, Illinois, Heath (Meg) Hummel, Gurnee, Illinois, Heather Hummel, Davenport, Clint Hummel, Santa Monica, California, Robert (Melissa) Hummel, Milan, Illinois, Elizabeth (Peter) Wilhelm, Algonquin, Illinois, Arlene (Tim) Bennett, Glen View, Illinois, and Von (Sydney) Hummel, Davenport; and many adoring nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death and awaited on by her father. May they rest in peace. 

The Hummel family is a close, tight-knit group. The whole family rallied together to support their eldest sister, all trying as best they could to provide comfort and love in her final days. Dorinda’s closest sister, Heather, seldom left her side at all. The Hummel family is grateful for the outpouring of support during this time, particularly the food and flowers delivered to the home, as well as the support of too many friends to even mention. 

Dorinda’s son Lars-Erik’s sadness at her passing is matched only by the happiness at knowing he was able to have her as a mother.