Dolores Donaghy

Chasing around 11 kids and 18 grandchildren keeps you young.  Though she was in her 70’s Dolores had the energy of a 20-year old.  They may have taken the girl out of New York, but they never took the New York out of the girl: seldom without a bat within arm’s reach and she spoke her mind, especially in traffic.  She and her husband joked often about “in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant”, but that’s where she was and how she was for many years.  And Dolores loved every second of it.  If her kids were doing something, she would be supportive and right beside them.  When they wanted to be active in EMS, she offered to put a blue light on her car to take them to scenes.  She even started a group called “MOM” (Mothers of Marines) to support her son. Initially she did not like the Beatles before becoming their biggest fan.  7th February 1964 she was on the runway at Idlewild when they landed for the first time in the U.S.  Paul was her favorite.  Later years found her loving Celtic Music and she saw Feet of Flames in concert in Philly.  She loved a good cookie exchange for her children: pick your favorite from a magazine and she’d whip you up a couple dozen.  Teddy bear bread was probably her biggest hit; actually, baked into the shape of a bear.  But cheesecakes were her specialty.  She hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas, her home decorated top to bottom; it was her opportunity to bring her flock back home.  And she was a grandmother for the ages: everything from making brownies to reading to them.  She read stories with so much enthusiasm that you could just lie down and close your eyes and listen and you’d be in the book. But it wasn’t just fiction, she read history also.  Best pay attention: there’d usually be a quiz at the end.  She enjoyed many a hobby; everything from shooting at Delran Junior Marksman (handguns, shotguns even a crossbow) to crocheting.

A young handsome guy named Jim was set up on a blind date.  The girl he was supposed to go with had to back out and Dolores went to the base to break the news to him.  They’d fall in love; so much so that they married twice:  once with all his Marine buddies in January and later in September at their church wedding.  She is survived by her children: Darlene (Joe) McConomy, Shannon (Vickie) Donaghy, Jennifer (Wilbur) Vickers, Brian Donaghy (Tori Benecke), Carolyn (Damien) Harden, Colleen (Jason) Wilson, Sean (Abbey) Donaghy, Eric Donaghy (Jackie Hubbs), Merriette (Zach) Zirpoli, and Rebecca Donaghy (Dan Padilla); grandchildren: Erin, Jonathan, Kristen, Gabriel, Noah, Jared, Tyler, Nate, Kayla, Aislinn, William, Oliver, Eian, Logan, Aiden, Lillian, Madelyn, and Baby Boy Donaghy.  She was predeceased by her son, Philip Donaghy.

Come celebrate 73 years Thursday 10-11 am at Sweeney Funeral Home, Riverside where there will be a service at 11 am. Interment Brigadier William C Doyle Veterans Cemetery