Lang-Doreen, formerly of Alden, passed peacefully in her sleep on March 1 2023, with her daughter and son in law at her side, after defying medical odds for decades. She has joined her loving husband George Lang by whom she was predeceased. Mother to Kelly (Jason) Buckley. She is fondly remembered by her closest friends Jeannine Jeziorski, and Judith Satola along with her many nieces and nephews, by blood and by choice. Born in Peterbourgh, Ontario to John and Anastasia Whalen, Doreen according to herself, was a quiet and mousey young lady. She left high school and moved to Barrie Ontario, where she helped raise her sister's children. It was also at this time that Doreen went to work at General Electric where according to her she learned to solder, drink and swear. Doreen had a great love of a good party and loved nothing more than being surrounded by the people she cared about. She met her husband George when their eyes met across a crowded room at the winter carnival. They were married in 1972. It was then that Doreen and George moved to Alden where she quickly put down roots and she has considered it home ever since. Doreen had grown up a "city girl" and was a bit out of sorts when George moved her to a farm house complete with goats, rabbits, pigs, chickens and peacocks, not mention a crow as her new "friends". Doreen did not have much experience with cooking before she was married, but soon found a love for making strawberry jam, butter tarts and chocolate peanut butter cups. Dory loved her goodies! George passed away only a few years later, leaving Doreen a young widow with a small child. Due to her circumstances, Doreen had to live on a tight budget, but despite this, Doreen was always generous and giving believing the Lord would provide and so he did! As in Alden, Doreen also met the ladies who would become her best friends for the rest of her life. This support network was a true blessing as Doreen struggled for years with a progressive neurological disorder, before finally being diagnosed and treated for a rare form of epilepsy. She was very proud of the fact that research she participated in resulted in several papers published about her case by multiple physicians. Doreen had long since agreed to donate her brain for further this research to continue to help others, but incredibly, Doreen managed to outlive those original studies. However, in order to still help others like herself, Doreen made her anatomical gift to the Harvard School of Medicine Brain Research project. We know that this would have brought Doreen great joy in proving the nuns wrong because she really did have the brains to get into Harvard. Later in life, Doreen also suddenly lost most of her vision in a hospital stay that left her not only blind, but in a coma for three months. Even in the face of these issues Doreen handled hardships with grace. Never was she upset, angry, or self-pitying. She would instead laugh in the face of her troubles and simply take all things as they came. Doreen was a woman of tremendous faith, she steady fastly believed. She had a special affinity for St. Theresa and would recount the smell of roses on several occasion when her calls to her had been answered. Dory had tremendously sharp wit and was always quick to smile. Dory's door was always open, and the coffee was always on. She was a great hostess and a fantastic storyteller. Doreen was predeceased by her siblings Jean (Roger) Judd, Carl Whalen, Kenneth (Beverly) Whalen and Joanne Whalen.  Family will be present at the Charles Meyer Funeral Home, 13228 Broadway Alden, NY Saturday, March 4th from 9:30-11 AM.  followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St John the Baptist RC Church, Alden, NY  at 11:30 AM.  (please assemble at church).  Share your condolences at meyerfuneralhome.com