Vanessa Mariah Nieves, 46, of Darien, passed away on May 13, 2026, after a hard-fought, three-year battle with triple-negative breast cancer. Vanessa was born April 17, 1980, at Mercy Hospital in Chicago to Mario and Argelia Nieves.

She was sister to Ana Margarita "Margie" and Eliza Nieves, and aunt to her godson Oscar Wild, Marisol and Alina Aguinaga, and Madelyn Rivera. She was "NeNe" to Lincoln and Isla Vinyard, and a cousin, niece, and friend to many. She was also the mother of her cats, Charlie Mariah and Lola Renee, otherwise known as her children.

Vanessa was preceded in death by her beloved grandmother Margarita Rosas Delgado, grandfather Isidore J. Delgado, aunt Teresita Delgado, and other loved ones.

Vanessa graduated from Triton College in 2006 and dedicated her career to healthcare. She spent many years as an X-Ray technologist at Ascension Alexian Brothers and Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. She later advanced her career to become an MRI technologist, practicing throughout the Chicago area and Minnesota. Her final role was at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital from 2022 until 2025. Over the years, she also participated in medical mission trips to Costa Rica and Honduras.

Vanessa was a devoted professional who was always willing to learn and support her coworkers. She had a gift for making friends in every workplace and was known for building genuine personal connections with her patients through compassionate and empathetic care.

Vanessa had an adventurous spirit. An avid traveler, she enjoyed numerous vacations with Eliza and different groups of friends, and she spent several years in Minnesota exploring the outdoors and making new friends before returning to the Chicago area in 2022. A curious foodie, she loved discovering new cuisines both at home and across the globe.

A passionate and loyal fan of the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, and Minnesota Lynx, she was also a season ticket holder for both the Lynx and the Bears. Vanessa made friends easily and could strike up an engaging conversation with anyone she met. She was incredibly smart and quick-witted, with an infectious laugh and a talent for maintaining deep, lasting friendships. A natural jokester, she lived for playful banter, especially when it came to poking the bear with Packers fans. A gifted athlete, Vanessa was famously proud of her eighth grade Presidential Physical Fitness Award. She took every opportunity to joke about her accolade, playfully boasting to long-time friends who had not reached the same athletic achievement.

The loss of Vanessa leaves a profound hole in the hearts of everyone she touched. She will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

At Vanessa's celebration of life, guests are encouraged to wear blue, her favorite color, or pink for breast cancer awareness. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Vanessa's memory to METAVIVOR, an organization dedicated specifically to funding research for Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. This contribution helps fulfill Vanessa's wish to support the transformative research that will redefine the future of breast cancer and improve outcomes for future generations.

A celebration of Vanessa's life will be held at the Carlson-Holmquist-Sayles Funeral Home & Crematory, 2320 Black Rd., Sunday, May 17th at 2:30 P.M. Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. until time of services at 2:30 P.M.