Naperville notable Doris Knoch Wood was one of the “Knoch girls.” Sisters Marge, Jean, Joanne, and Doris were the daughters of Win and Irene Knoch. According to her niece, Mary Lou Wehrli, the girls grew up surrounded by education, celebration, and a strong commitment to giving back to their hometown.
Judge Win Knoch
Their father, Win Knoch, set a strong example of public service as both a lawyer and a U.S. circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals.
Standing: Jean, Marge, Doris Seated: Irene, Joanne, Win Knoch
Doris graduated from what was then Iowa State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa, beginning a lifelong commitment to education and service. According to her obituary, she devoted many years to teaching at Illinois Benedictine College and the College of DuPage.
Led Naperville Public Library expansion
Following the family’s tradition of civic duty, Doris gave back to her hometown in 1986 as president of Nichols Library, helping lead its successful expansion into the Naperville Public Library to serve a growing community. The Wood family also brought Naperville its first public art installations: a bronze map titled Naperville (1986), Man’s Search for Knowledge Through the Ages relief (1987), and the Reading Children sculpture (1988), all located at Nichols Library.
In the mid-2000s, Doris and her daughter, Alice, celebrated the arts and community by hosting Summer Shakespeare performances and Great Gatsby gatherings at her home, raising funds for Loaves & Fishes Community Services.
Doris, Marge, Jean, Joanne
According to her obituary, Doris participated in the Super Agers program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital because she believed her involvement could advance meaningful research and make a difference for others as they entered later life. In that same spirit, she chose to donate her body to science.
“Any town worth living in is worth doing something for,” Win Knoch often said. Doris Wood lived out that belief, serving as a positive example of action and generosity in a community she deeply loved, said her niece, Mary Lou Wehrli.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate her life at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville.
Doris died Dec. 21, 2025. She was 95.
Mary Lou Wehrli contributed to this obituary.
