Jenny Angelica Ampuero Basilles de Romero, age 74, of Algonquin, IL, passed away on May 30, 2023. She was born August 24, 1948 in Peru to her loving parents, Miguel Ampuero and Fina Basilles.

Jenny was a kind and noble woman by nature, lovingly referred to as “Nena” and “Titita Nena” by her grandchildren. She was humble, down to earth, very loving and always provided very good advice.

Nena was able to find the joy and beauty in every little thing. She loved animals, and in particular, birds (especially cardinals and hummingbirds). She loved and cared for her doggies, Bronco, Luigi (deceased), and baby Ringo. Beyond this, Nena delighted in watching Animal Planet shows with stories about unlikely animal friendships. Nena demonstrated her affection for flowers and plants by spending time talking to them and caring for them. Further, she was a literal “tree-hugger”, taking time to physically embrace years of nature and peace embodied in a tree trunk.

Nena was always eager to help anyone in need, and was dedicated in the mission of loving and honoring our Holy Mother Mary. She worked tirelessly as the President of a Catholic non-profit called Residents of Mariscal Castilla with the objective of building a church in San Borja, Peru. She was a proud member of the Legion of Mary and the Jesus Sacred Hearts, studying the miracle of the Divine Mercy. Throughout her life of faith-oriented devotion, Nena created long-lasting friendships. Her friends from various devotional groups admired her big heart and sincere friendship.

However, Nena’s kind spirit shone the brightest in the daily acts of love she would show to her family. Nena was a dance machine. She taught her kids and grandkids to dance salsa, bachata, merengue, and cumbia, and she would dance with them at every possible opportunity. To eat a dish prepared by her was to taste real Peruvian cuisine made with love. Our Nena was as exquisite and delicate as a rose petal, both in her words and in her actions. Receiving advice from her over tea was to receive a gentle spiritual healing that would lift you up and leave you feeling renewed. That isn’t to say she did not have a robust sense of humor. She was always the first to pull a joke out of thin air, and read the room for ripe opportunities to crack edgy jokes in the most unexpected moments with a mischievous, almost childlike smile. Her bright humor left us all bewildered and in inevitable laughs.

Nena was an avid reader of spiritual subjects, poetry, and angel books (thus inspiring her special relationship with them). She could identify every Christian angel and archangel by name, calling upon them for guidance and protection. Perhaps this prepared her well to become a protective warrior angel for her loved ones now in her passing. Her greatest legacy is the faith she inspired in us. She would always say: “Faith can move mountains!” It was with this faith in God and leading a life of love that Nena set an example for how to be a better wife, a more patient mother, and a tremendous friend. We remember her with this phrase: “Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure.”

Nena is survived by her husband, Luis Walter Romero; children, Jenny, Karen, Monica, Walter, Luis Felipe, Isabel, Vladimir, Jim, Jaime, Angie, Luz and Victoria; siblings, Esther, Gilberto, and Nelson; and grandchildren, Jenny, Sebastian, Nico, Lorenzo, Josefina, Agustin, Mariana, Kevin, Gabo, Danica, Sofia, Salvador, Tiziana, Dalia and Anyelo.

A memorial will be held 3:00pm until funeral service at 4:00pm, Monday, June 12, 2023 at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park Street, Elgin, IL 60120. Monsignor Arquimedes Vallejo will be officiating.

To access the funeral service remotely, loved ones are encouraged to log on safe from home via Zoom (Meeting ID: 830 6879 5803, Password: 586608).

Interment will be private.

In lieu of cut flower arrangements, the family requests potted plants.

Final arrangements entrusted to Symonds-Madison Funeral Home. For more information, call 847-741-1128.