Dolores Elizabeth Conway

Prayer was her solution to any problem; it was her “go to” . When I was at a crossroads in my life she said, "maybe God just wants to hear from you" . Needless to say, that small sentence changed my life .

She was devoted to my dad. Theirs was a love story for the ages. Highschool sweethearts, the young nurse and the fly boy, married on a dime in a borrowed dress who struck off to create the family they both longed for. Her devotion to our father knew no limits. Matched only by the lengths she went to for all 5 of their children. If we needed a dress or costume, she made it. If we needed a ride she was always there, keys in hand. No birthday went without a party. Our friends were always welcome at our table.

Mom left nursing and taught preschool for St Ann parish and Holy Family School. Her curriculum was based on the belief that every child should get hugs and they were never bad, they just made mistakes sometimes.

She was a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House - often taking families for joy rides through Philadelphia.

When her baby girl had finished college and went out on her own, Mom and Dad had plans for a retirement of travel, fun and playing with grandbabies. Sadly that plan did not completely come to be. A few grandbabies and a few trips together but tragically Mom found herself in the role of nurse again. This time it was for dad. Dad's cancer diagnosis was a call to arms and they would fight. The whole time mom was the caretaker even when hope was lost, she bathed and spoon fed the man she loved. Sadly, mom lost dad at the age of 58, their story ended too soon.

My mother's own health battle began within a few short years of my father's death.

This new journey forced us to start some serious adulting. We got scared and frustrated and angry but we came to find the grace in it all when we slowed down and remembered her other favorite saying, “all for thee oh lord”. We had to become her. We had to do everything she would have done. And we did. She taught us how to care and how to love. I stopped being able to call her for advice over a decade ago but the memories of all she did and went through helped me to figure out: What would Dodi do?.

Dad came to get Mom today and she was greeted in heaven by her parents, her sisters, her aunts, uncles, cousins, her friends from the muffin club, and her partner in crime, Martha.

I am so happy you are at peace mom and I still can't thank you enough for my life. Give Dad a hug for me.